THE TRIBAL WATER ISSUE Indigenous peoples have resided in Colorado and the Colorado River Basin since time immemorial, yet in modern times tribal nations have had to fight for access to the most fundamental of life-giving resources. Tribes have sought to secure water rights and the infrastructure to access and distribute that water, and have worked to position themselves as sovereign entities that must be included in negotiations on the Colorado River. Now, as negotiations commence for the next management framework for the Colorado River, defining tribal water rights is critical for the tribes and for the rest of the basin's water users, and tribal voices are finally being heard.
