Native America Calling: In the parched West, tribes restore waterways to improve quality and quantity

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Native America Calling: In the parched West, tribes restore waterways to improve quality and quantity

Thursday, June 11, 2026

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In the parched West, tribes restore waterways to improve quality and quantity

A site of tragedy for the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation has become a place of renewal and promise.

The tribe has worked for the past seven years to revitalize the land of the 1863 Bear River Massacre. By eradicating invasive species, reviving native plants, and returning water canals to their natural paths, the tribe is significantly boosting both water quality and flow of the river.

A memorial at the site of the 1863 Bear River Massacre in Utah. Hundreds of Shoshone children, women and men were massacred by the U.S. military on January 29, 1863. Photo: Beneathtimp

The area is one of the biggest sources of water for the Great Salt Lake, and officials say the tribe’s efforts could be part of a solution to preventing the iconic body of water from disappearing amid an increasingly dry climate.

And in Montana, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes continue work as part of a historic compact to revitalize the Jocko River. Tune in to discuss how Indigenous knowledge is providing promise against a troubling trend.

Guests on Native America Calling

Brad Parry (Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation), vice chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation in Utah

Seth Makepeace (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), hydrologist for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana

Donella Miller (Yakama), fish science manager for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission

Hannah Freeze, deputy commissioner for the Great Salt Lake in Utah