| The purpose of the thesis is to determine whether the four governance actors of First Nations drinking water (i.e., Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, Environment Canada, Health Canada, and Band Councils) hold different theories for addressing First Nations drinking water quality issues, and whether such differences are manifested in First Nations approaches to resolving these issues. First, theories of change are developed to map out each governance actor's ideal solution for addressing First Nations drinking water quality issues. Second, the drinking water management of three First Nations communities are compared with analogous (i.e., similar size, location, and source water) non-First Nations communities. The findings suggest that approaches used by the four governance actors differ significantly, which manifests in confusion at the community level for resolving water management issues. These different approaches are measured according to financial, personnel, regulatory, and role clarity indicators. |
