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<br />.
<br />lif>n~ U;hl:fC the illl~'rc~l~ lIT\: Illc:\uicahly cllrnhillnl by
<br />prauKa] rc.ullY,
<br />
<br />Fundinjo: fur trilX's' altorn~'~s and [t'chnicaJ cxp.ms
<br />has lX't'n so sc\"ndy Tt"tlun"l.l O\(,T the past few yc~rs
<br />Ihat it is making it ,h(ticult for tril>t:s 10 lTIl....lOin":t"u]Jy
<br />pJrtirip;l1c in rile "r<lens. TIlt" BUfl',lU uf In,ij;m Af.
<br />fJirs (H]"\) has ;\Iso recently announced (unht'TeUls to
<br />t1w~ \'il.lI ""'I"'-Ke~ to p,'y f"T $7 nullioo in anorrll')'s'
<br />(n's (Of the C..lx'[] lili~lfifln. To clcny the tribc:s tht"
<br />funch Ilt"Ct:SS;Il! '" ,'nsurt' rompt",'f\1 Ic~ll and hy'dro
<br />l,,~ic npc:rri",,' is [anumount In tlcnying fhem the right
<br />1'1 tlt-feml a h.ISic Cf,rnf"'I1l'nt of [twIT physII";u and
<br />ndturJJsurn\',11.
<br />
<br />The \X'C'S[I"fll Stall'S anll Trihl:S h.l\c (onllnucd ,,,
<br />work h,lf.! 10 condllllc w;lIn st:lllcnll"nlS but (;In no
<br />Illngl'T COllunul' In 110 Sf) In ;1 \lnu,,1 \',lCuum of ITII:~n-
<br />In~ful 1i.'ller,,] p.lnlClp,1l1"n ~nd tinancial commimwm,
<br />Sl,tdenwllls In \l<lnuna ;md :--;"W ,\II.'XICO bn.....\mh
<br />hn:~use the Imenor 1~:p,lrtlllt"11I has pullnl tl;lck IIn lIS
<br />fumhnlo; [lllllmitrlll'nb. Tlw imrll:nding ensis m.IY nut
<br />. hl' as t!ullullr ,IS a hU~l(";Ul~. hill Ihe: ]onK I('rm 1m.
<br />pans ;Irl' no less n-al. hu]uTe to eonclu<II' rrM.'~nm,i,'ful
<br />Wall'r n~hl 'l'IlIcIl1l'IllS WIll umknllml' thl' \\'estern
<br />St,ues' pl.lOnjn~ for sust;linab]l' ~'fowth anll dlsruPI
<br />d1l'IT abllll} In /1lt'et long tl'ml wain dt'mands. IJuga.
<br />11'.n nltlltl rnuh III suhst.lmiJI disrupn"n (If Il"n.
<br />Indian use-s, Furtller, if trllx's ,Irt' f"rrl"lll" Iilll-:"te III
<br />protl'cl Iheir W,ltU r1Khls. tht'lr C\TntU,I] Iluamifieall<lll
<br />11M} lx' IIll"'lIlinKIt's, wlth"ul fcdt'ral IlolI,ITs t" devel"p
<br />rheir w;llt'r SUpphl" t"r tht,tr h',"u'lamk
<br />
<br />ilmusI .lls.. I.., o!lst:rn'll th,Ll unlike n-slll'nding tll
<br />r,m.lom o;\lura.! (";IUSlrophl'S, thl" II.IU"O,II ohli,i,';ltion of
<br />
<br />lndl<lO w;u....r nghlS sl.tdements is a tlnrte list of flt:nd-
<br />ing pruhlt'ms, OrIC th.u gr"ws sh"nn wllh c,Kh M'ul.,
<br />ml"nt. II is a mtion'l] ohlig.uj'm thaI can he: mt'I in full.
<br />"nct" and for all, hy cunc]udmg sclllco1t'ms with tho,,'
<br />trihes ;Ind pueblus whosc righlS han" nul }l'[ ]",'cn
<br />JIljudlCated. But, while lilt' numhe:r of pt:llding sl.ttle-
<br />mcnts is sel, Ihe cost of Implenwming them \\111 con.
<br />Imuc 10 nse nll";minj.!: Ih;lI postponinj.!: 111lS dUlY nnl~
<br />increase~ its cuSI In lhe nalion, as it perpcru'Hl'S thl'
<br />hartlshtp to Indian people unahk- to enjoy the full use
<br />or thelr walt'r riKhl~ antI ,bo.' inahllllY of non-lntli,lO
<br />g"\Trmncllls to plan fur w;tler uS<;' 10 lill' ah"".[lCl-" of
<br />linn tLlIa on respecli\'c use l'lllillenlt:nts.
<br />
<br />I\c:comlllend.\liuns:
<br />
<br />-I,A, RCOIffinu 11ll' relioluliull IIf Ihe \\'t's!t'm Gen'.
<br />emol1l' A"soci;llinll on sellklllelU of Indian
<br />w.uerriJ.:llldail1l!l,
<br />
<br />Tht, \\estern SI,IIe'S aflll Trilx's mllsI n'nl'W their
<br />commilrnl.'nllo this OlO\t Import;ml pnlCl'SS.
<br />
<br />-I,n. Buildin" elIl Ihe "ucn'lises of the pOlS I IWO
<br />decadl'Ii, the \\'CiA sh"u]d CI1J.:.I/.:l' G'IlJ.:res!l
<br />ill an impoMant discu,,"liion of whOlI fedt'ral
<br />polil)' shuuld Ilt' alld how these sCUlt'IIII"nl!>
<br />C;lII he funded,
<br />
<br />\\l1l'lhl'r throu~h OIl'rsl!';ht he,lrinh'" or hi14h-lnd
<br />p"lrc~ llll"l:Iin).,'1i. tht. nlt"S!l:lJ{t" should ]It.' l"ll-;Ir; Ihae j,
<br />an impcmlin~ criSIS in \\eSlI'T1l w;lter If Ihl\ \"1t,ll sctlle-
<br />men! pnlCl'\S 1\ .ulowl'J I" lanh'\mh. The I"OslS uf r;lil
<br />un" (or lhe SEMI-S alltllrihl:s \\1111..., 10" hi!';h an.1 "p_
<br />
<br />"Failure to conclude meaningful water right settlements willundennine the
<br />
<br />Western States' planning for sustainable growth and disnlPttheir ability to
<br />
<br />.leet long-tell11 water demands.
<br />protect their water rights, their eventual quantification may be meaningless
<br />
<br />Further, if tribes arc forced to liti~ate 10
<br />~
<br />
<br />without federal dollars to develop their water supplies for their homelands,"
<br />
<br />
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