"I was troubled to read a March 27 guest opinion by congressional candidate A.J. Otjen. The tribe does not appreciate when a political candidate declares on her own what is in the Crow Tribe’s best interests for her own political gain, particularly when the declaration is so inaccurate.

When I testified before the House Committee on Natural Resources in favor of our Crow water bill last year, I quoted a book on Crow recipes and medicines: “Water has always been the main drink of the Crow people. Elders tell us that rivers are like the veins of the world, They teach us to respect the waterways and to be thankful to the Creator every time we take a drink.”

This bill will go a long way toward finally providing the Crow people with clean drinking water — something most Montanans take largely for granted. But water is more than something to drink. Ask any farmer, rancher, mill worker or a miner. Water can be the veins of economic development. And economic development is exactly what the Crow Tribe is hoping to spark."

Get the Story:
Cedric Black Eagle: Water bill represents Crow Tribe’s best interests (The Billings Gazette 4/2)

Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act of 2009:
H.R. 3563 | S.375

Related Stories:
Opinion: Water bill hurts landowners on Crow Reservation (3/29)
Crow Tribe's water rights settlement advances (9/11)
Crow Tribe near deal on water rights settlement (08/03)