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<br />imprint and also equitably integrates the preservation <br />perspectives and philosophies of a multi-cultural envi- <br />ronment. This will necessitate a concerted and <br />Integrated preservation approach that is equitable to all <br />the major stakeholders within the Colorado River Basin. <br /> <br />SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS <br /> <br />This paper has attempted to present a variety of man- <br />agement issues that are of concern to Native American <br />tribes, as major stakeholders, in the management of the <br />diverse resources that comprise the Colorado River <br />Basin. A central principle to the development of a <br />management plan for the Colorado River Basin is the <br />recognition that each Native American tribe is a distinct <br />sovereign government and as such maintains a unique <br />relationship with the federal government. This relation- <br />ship is expressed in a trust obligation of the federal gov- <br />ernment to each Native American tribe. In order to <br />successfully implement this trust obligation, with respect <br />to the development of a management plan for the <br />Colorado River Basin, federal and state agencies must <br />recognize Native American tribes as sovereign govern- <br />ments and cooperatively develop criteria and procedures <br />for successfully implementing a meaningful government <br />to government consultation process which results in the <br />development of a resource management plan that suc- <br />cessfully integrates Native American participation. <br />Moreover, the cultural and economic interests of the <br />Native American tribes in resource management (e.g., <br />cultural uses, values, and protection, economic develop- <br />ment, recreation, and region-wide resource depletion) <br />need to be incorporated into any and all economic, <br />social, and physical models of the Colorado River Basin <br />and the associated management of the Colorado River. <br /> <br />The federal government is viewed as one of principal <br />integrating mechanism for insuring that Native <br />American interests and perspectives are considered and <br /> <br />34 <br /> <br />given equal treatment. Therefore, each federal agency <br />should promote this integration with various state, <br />local, and private interests within the Colorado River <br />Basin and develop consultation protocol through the <br />development of Memorandum of Understandings. <br />This Memorandum of Understanding should stress <br />the importance of early and continuous participa- <br />tion by Native American governments in the plan- <br />ning and management of natural and cultural <br />resources. Additionally, the Memorandum of <br />Understanding should direct the advancement of the <br />Colorado River Basin management plan to develop <br />cooperative efforts and innovative approaches to <br />Basin-wide conflict resolution which incorporates <br />the philosophies and perspectives of the various <br />Native American tribes. <br /> <br />Native American water rights in regards to the <br />Colorado River are presented as a major management <br />issue and how the tribes have their water concerns <br />integrated into the broader management of the <br />Colorado River Basin; inspite of existing water com- <br />pacts, agreements, and appropriations that do not rep- <br />resent Native American tribal water rights, sovereignty <br />or participation. The example was presented that if <br />tribal water rights had been quantified in the Colorado <br />River, the amount of revenue generated through the <br />use of tribal water for hydropower generation would <br />have been enormous and the tribes would have benefit- <br />ed directly from the use of their water. This issue raises <br />important questions regarding the basis for tribal water <br />rights quantification in an over-appropriated basin and <br />may provide important economic opportunities for <br />tribes in the future. Perhaps one means of addressing <br />this issue is to develop the concept of a tribal economic <br />development bank, to be capitalized by hydropower <br />funds generated through years of using tribal water to <br />generate electricity and off-reservation development. <br />