Canadian Nobel Prize Winner donates half of his winnings to fight the water crisis in Indigenous communities

Geoffrey Hinton, Canada’s most recent Nobel Prize winner, learned the importance of clean water while living in Peru. When he moved his family to the Andean country for a few months while they adopted his son, the water was not safe to drink.

“Seeing the extra work and healthcare that goes into protecting a child from poisonous water cemented the belief that we must have clean water,” Hinton said in a Water First press release. 

Now, Hinton has donated half of his $700,000 Nobel Prize winnings to Water First, an organization developing the next generation of Indigenous water operators. 

Hinton, considered the godfather of artificial intelligence, is a computer scientist and professor at the University of Toronto. He won the Nobel Prize in Physics alongside John Hopfield for his contributions to the advancement of artificial intelligence. 

In a call to Water First, Hinton told the organization of his own connection to safe water that prompted the decision to support its mission to end the water crisis in Indigenous communities.

John Millar, executive director at Water First, says he is thrilled about the support and resources that Hinton’s donation will provide. 

“He’s not only interested in supporting Water First, but is taking a significant interest in the broader challenge that we are attempting to address in partnership with Indigenous communities,” Millar said. 

Water First has a unique approach. While some organizations may prefer to provide equipment or supplies, Water First supports and trains future water operators who will maintain and ensure operation of water equipment. 

Millar believes that it’s human nature to focus solely on the technology and equipment needed to solve the water crisis. At first, he was focused on equipment, but the purpose shifted when he learned that equipment was “not sufficient on its own to produce clean drinking water for community members reliably.”

“The reliable part is the skilled individuals to run and maintain the water plants,” he said. 

Water First’s current focus is to train community members who have no experience in the field, helping them through education, certification and even internships. The organization has worked with more than 90 Indigenous communities and has three flagship programs, including a school environmental program, an environmental water internship and a drinking water internship.

In a press release, Hinton praised Water First for providing water science education to ensure healthy Indigenous communities.

“When you provide education, you’ve now got somebody who can keep the water safe for 40 years,” he said in the press release. 

Now, Hinton’s donation of $350,000 will help meet the demand that often outstrips the organization's capacity, Millar said.

“A donation of this size helps position Water First to say yes and to support more Indigenous communities who see value in education and training programs in the water sciences,” Millar said. 

It’s essential because both Hinton and Millar agree that the water crisis in Indigenous communities must end.

“If there is one Indigenous or non-Indigenous community in Canada who doesn't have access to safe, clean drinking water that is wholly unacceptable,” Millar said. “So, not letting this very important issue fade away: it deserves our attention until it's been fully addressed.” 

Matteo Cimellaro / Canada’s National Observer / Local Journalism Initiative