Opinion

Editorial: Kickapoo Tribe's water woes in Kansas

Monday, June 11, 2007

"Tribal leaders are acutely aware of water’s importance, having faced three decades of supply problems here. But in recent years, water hasn’t seemed anywhere near the top of most Kansas policy makers’ agenda.

That’s not surprising, with legislators entangled in a lawsuit that made funding for public schools a dominant concern for a few years and with the State Board of Education bringing Kansas international attention by renewing a debate over evolution. This year, the biggest event of the legislative session was approval of a bill to expand gambling.

The tribe called a meeting last week with officials from six federal agencies to deal with the problem and to vent their frustration over the long-standing problems with their water supply. Without water, they said, their self-governing community will die.

“We will continue to fight for our inherent right to practice genuine self-determination with water as our ally,” tribal Chairman Steve Cadue said.

It’s a cruel irony for the Kickapoo that flooding caused their latest problem, because they’ve worried most about dry conditions leaving them without adequate water."

Get the Story:
Editorial :Recent events show water’s importance as policy issue (The Joplin Globe 6/11)