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<br />
<br />4. Resolution of Indian Waeer Rig-hes
<br />
<br />/),Il;~'}h
<br />
<br />For the P,ISt IWo dl:cadcs. the \\'estern (;u\'NnOrS
<br />have strnn~ly ;mll consisll'mly supportcll the nt.'~oti.
<br />,Iled sl,ltll'n~11I of In,b.m Lmd anll watl.r IJispules,
<br />TIll"lr m"~t ren'nt policy staterm-nt read~: "'Ine \\'eM-
<br />l.rn (~"H'rn"rs n,nllnUl: to SUpPO" 1ll:~otMtl"d ralher
<br />than liti"':;llnl selllem..:nts nt"lnlli,m watN ri~hls Ilis-
<br />putes, '11l(' fl.deral ~"n:rnml.nt has major rl'sl'lClmibll
<br />Ity (or l.nSUf1n~ suo:essful conduslon of the prncess,
<br />lIldulLn~ pr'J\'idin~ lIlfonnanon and tt-chmcaJ .SSIS-
<br />tann. to the trihl.~. pro\i.lil~ (l.llt-r;ll ne~"li;U1~ fe:lms
<br />10 rt~pn:"'.nt {llll" (l'dl.r~ \'Olre amI funh,,'r till" pron'ss,
<br />sc..,,'kin~ appro\',,1 of ;~rccmcnts. fully funding- thl: f('J.
<br />er,d share :111.1 lIlsurin...: t11J.t the seltll'nll.nts :U'C impk"-
<br />nll'nted,"
<br />
<br />.Inl. \\'estl'rn States' so\ereiJ.,'fl cuunt"'rpilrlS. thl'
<br />Jcltll,m nations c1.ummg watl.r rlght~, h,l\'... ,uso sup-
<br />porte,1 ne~uti<lted setd..-ml:1ll III thcse di(ticult Ic~aJ
<br />I'SUCS, 'Int> :-.Jati"n,11 Congress of ,\nll"rican Irltluns
<br />(:\CI\I) '.behcn.s th,1t Ih.... sl,tdcment of trillal W.IlI.r
<br />and Lmd cJ,IlIllS IS 011(' o( I1w mu~t unpurtanl a'I1<"(t'
<br />of thl. t 'nircll SLucs' t"irM uhligauolls to Indi,ms and is
<br />.,fnfalllllp"rl.llln. 1" the c"unn)' as a wh.)lc."
<br />
<br />It IS cmlcal that \\'est....rn SUIt'S ,1Ild lriht:S Iah.
<br />,fuck of Ilw s...trlelTI..'llI pron.s'. wh;1I n.m;uns t" be
<br />accolllplrshl.11 and whethl'r the curn'or f(,llerall'lC)hc~ _
<br />,md mOH' rllll'!t,namly. pr;l(IKl" - is ....ff",c!l\T In m,,\ing
<br />Ih... r".I11;linmg sellkn'lt:lll~ fCITwarl1.
<br />
<br />(In'r rht." p.I't 25 Yl.;lrs. more IhAn 21 ~...ltkmcms
<br />of Indian land ,lilt! waIn rrghl~ h;l\'''. IX'1.'1l rl.,Khl"i.llll
<br />th... w....,rl.rn ~ur...s .md apl'f"tIn.d hy ConJ.:ress, 'Ille
<br />
<br />seukmelll$ h.l\'t> pru\;d{'d praclical suJuuons, 111(1'.1.
<br />SlruCIUf(' ;md fulltlinJ.:. whik' sa\'ln~ nuJJr"lIs of dolhrs
<br />of Pflute and puhhc lTIonrl"S thr"ugh a\'oi,lancl' of
<br />prolong...d and co,tly litiJ.:atlon, and han: (oSl,,'rnl con-
<br />sel"\'oIti..n and snuml ....';l1l.f nunaJ.,'l'nu-1ll practin.s ;lnd
<br />...suhhsh".11 lhe ha,i~ for coopcrafi\'c p;lftnnshlps h.....
<br />t\H'Cn Indi.1n ;lIld n(Il)-lndr,1Il CC'llllllUnttrcs.
<br />
<br />.Inis su..'Cessful pmc..-ss is curn.nlly thrcatl.n"'1.1 hy
<br />fCtkral tisnl :lnd Il"j.:al policies. \\nil.... the Ikpartlllell!
<br />of Imcnor cfllllinucs tn ...spuuse scnknwlll, it rs lakin!-:
<br />an IIlcl'Ca~in~y n,lrro\\' \il.W of ifs lrust n.sponsibililll'S
<br />to tri!x.s and IfS ....,lhllj...'1ll"s\ 10 fund Sl.l!lcnwllIs tholt
<br />h...'ndil n'lIl-llltkms as wdl. In C(H'HJlIlatl"n wirh th..'
<br />Ottire o( 7\1,lIl.lgemem ,md Hmlgl't {( 1\111) ;llId Ihl"
<br />Departml.or of Just ire (1)( )J).1l has I"",,,'n ass..:rnng lhat
<br />it~ fOlllribwi"ll 10 '1'IIIem,,'nh should I,.... no morc Ih;m
<br />its cakul.lblc Il').:.11 np"sufe ;lllll Ihat l.\t>n rhis (;an 11<'
<br />narro.....ly drAwn So th.lt oftl'n liS tinanrial ohligallull I'
<br />ItUll.ornollc.
<br />
<br />It lI;lS IOll~ hl'('n Iht' ;len'plnl prl.mt..... Ihat lllt"elillg
<br />rlu' COSf of Indi.lII \\',lrn and 1n!r;lsITUUUr(; In Indi,ln
<br />W;II...r nght~ s...ult'm...ms is rhe trU~1 resl'!tlll'thllll}' o(
<br />th... fnkr;lI go\"crlllTI(.m. .\t rhl" S.lnn' IlIlle. II mllst I,....
<br />Kkllowkdg...,llhal ,Ill ,lpproprr,lI... Sh<lfl. olllwsc nlsts
<br />of st..tlkment. which corn:spond 10 non.lndr;1l1 W,lln
<br />anll lIlfrastruclurl. bC:lll.jils, 1n(;R.';lsrngly ;\ cumpt'lwnt
<br />of In.li.!n water nghts SI,'lrlnlM:nts. should he IHIHll. by
<br />thl" Sratl'S, 'Ine statt.s ilnd thl' 1t...It-ral ~o\erllnll"m
<br />must work t,'/.:etht.'r to 10lnth Ill.si~n ,md fund seult-
<br />ml.nt prolCCIS Ih;1I pro\ld.... Ih.... gfl',ill'St Ix.nctit (or
<br />ImllJn and nun Indiall \\";II..'r U~t:TS .llikl. III thosc silu;!-
<br />
<br />-
<br />
<br />~-'-.
<br />
<br />
<br />,\fti~l's fl'llditilln of Cl1tllpll'tillll {If Ridge~ Ittsill
<br />Dam. o....ing huih pur:;uant III Implementation {If
<br />the Colorado Ule St.lIklllt111 At'l of ~()U(J.
<br />
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