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~,' ~ -I L .c.. . , . . O;';OH Typically, negotiations proceed through the following stages: - Hcneymoon: The formative period when the parties have agreed to negotiate and are establishing membership and procedures. - Claims Description: Uhere the parties display their expentancies. - Conflict Period: Where the give and take occurs to arrive at a middle ground solution. - Agreements in Principle: The formalization of the participants' rol es in the settl ement and approval by thei r pri nci pal s. - Ratification: Preparation and processing of approvals such as ccnsent decrees, legislation, repayment contracts, etc. Although these steps seem somewhat discreet and well defined, particular care needs to be taken so the process is designed to assure maximum opportunity for success. For example, the ccnfl ict period is the most dangerous part of the negotiations. It is essential that strong 1 eadership and a sense of "higher mutual purpose" be instilled early in the negotiations to carry through the hard times. Likewise, to "close a deal" at the ratification stage, all affected parties must buy in:o the solution. Accordingly, in the honeymoon stage, great care needs to be taken to assure that membership includes all major parties that have a staKe in the outcome. For your information, the United States isn't starting any of these "honeymoons." We come to participate solely upon the invitation of State and local interests. This is to assure th~t the settlements have the local roots necessary to build consensus and cloture. There are more than 50 active water rights disputes involving Indian tribes around the West, with abcut one dozen of these now in nego- tiations. In Arizona, the Ak-Chin Reservation and San Xavier (Papago) Reservation claims have been settled with steps ncw underway to imple- ment thcse settlements. In r1ontana, the Fort Peck tribe's water rights have ~een defined in a compact with the State that awards the Tri~e 4