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Native America Calling: Tribes in the arid southwest face water management uncertainty
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
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Tribes in the arid southwest face water management uncertainty
Tribes that rely on Colorado River water — and the complex set of rules that govern it — are worried about how President Donald Trump’s executive orders and the ongoing legal questions about them will affect their water access.

Trump froze federal funds for the Inflation Reduction Act. Even after a judge reinstated those funds, tribes are concerned about the viability of some water conservation efforts going forward.

Those water access issues are becoming increasingly important because of long-term trends showing significantly less water available in the basin.

Pueblo of Zuni
A welcome sign at the Pueblo of Zuni in New Mexico. Photo: Ken Lund

Guests on Native America Calling
Heather Whiteman Runs Him (Apsáalooke), associate clinical professor at the James E. Rogers College of Law and director of the Tribal Justice Clinic at the University of Arizona

Jenny Dumas, water attorney for the Jicarilla Apache Nation, a federally-recognized tribe in New Mexico

Daryl Vigil (Jicarilla Apache Nation), co-director of the Water & Tribes Initiative, an organization representing tribes in the Colorado River basin

Edward Wemytewa (Zuni), tribal councilman for the Pueblo of Zuni, a federally-recognized tribe in New Mexico

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