Feds want justices to end Navajo fight for Colo. River water

[roadmaster]

States that rely on water from the over-tapped Colorado River want the U.S. Supreme Court to block a lawsuit from the Navajo Nation that could upend how water is shared in the Western U.S.
The tribe doesn't have enough water and says that the federal government is at fault. Roughly a third of residents on the vast Navajo Nation don’t have running water in their homes.
More than 150 years ago, the U.S. government and the tribe signed treaties that promised the tribe a “permanent home” — a promise the Navajo Nation says includes a sufficient supply of water. The tribe says the government broke its promise to ensure the tribe has enough water and that people are suffering as a result.
http://s://www.msn.com/en-us/news/po...bff3b4df&ei=38

It's a shame we can't treat these people with dignity.

[Peter1469]

A fairly recent SCOTUS case should favor the Indians (feather not dot) here.

[Peter1469]

A fairly recent SCOTUS case should favor the Indians (feather not dot) here.

Supreme Court may keep alive Navajo Nation water rights claim in Arizona


A divided Supreme Court confronted on Monday the question of whether the government must do more to provide water for the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona.


And the answer, by the narrowest majority, appeared to be yes.

Most of the justices said they were wary of even considering plans to take more water from the mainstream of the drought-stricken Colorado River. But five of them, led by Justices Neil M. Gorsuch and Elena Kagan, mostly agreed with a lawyer who said there was a 150-year history of broken promises to the Navajo Nation.


A treaty signed in 1868 promised a "permanent home" where Navajo Nation residents could farm and raise animals.

[countryboy]

We waste trillions on BS, and we can't get water to the reservations? Get the $#@! outta here.

[Hoosier8]

States that rely on water from the over-tapped Colorado River want the U.S. Supreme Court to block a lawsuit from the Navajo Nation that could upend how water is shared in the Western U.S.
The tribe doesn't have enough water and says that the federal government is at fault. Roughly a third of residents on the vast Navajo Nation don’t have running water in their homes.
More than 150 years ago, the U.S. government and the tribe signed treaties that promised the tribe a “permanent home” — a promise the Navajo Nation says includes a sufficient supply of water. The tribe says the government broke its promise to ensure the tribe has enough water and that people are suffering as a result.
http://s://www.msn.com/en-us/news/po...bff3b4df&ei=38

It's a shame we can't treat these people with dignity.

On a side note; 150 years ago more water flowed through the Colorado river. The plans were made for water use 100 years ago without knowing the southwest was slowly drying out and had been for 100’s of years eventually discovered by reading tree rings. They had to stop building dams as downstream would be dry. Now it’s critical for those areas used to water much like the Navajos.

[jes'fuchinwitcha]

States that rely on water from the over-tapped Colorado River want the U.S. Supreme Court to block a lawsuit from the Navajo Nation that could upend how water is shared in the Western U.S.
The tribe doesn't have enough water and says that the federal government is at fault. Roughly a third of residents on the vast Navajo Nation don’t have running water in their homes.
More than 150 years ago, the U.S. government and the tribe signed treaties that promised the tribe a “permanent home” — a promise the Navajo Nation says includes a sufficient supply of water. The tribe says the government broke its promise to ensure the tribe has enough water and that people are suffering as a result.
http://s://www.msn.com/en-us/news/po...bff3b4df&ei=38

It's a shame we can't treat these people with dignity.

I just spent two days with a Navajo farm (a non-profit community food sustainability operation) that doesn't have running water. Imagine having a farm in north central New Mexico that was only watered with ingenious surface water management and rooftop catchment! They are doing it pretty successfully, though it is definitely a challenge. In long conversations with them, they are at once desirous of more and easier water, but are not convinced that access to artificial sources would be a good thing in the long run - they fear they would become as grotesquely wasteful as the white folks. I admire them and their dedication and purpose immensely.

I am helping them to create capacity to make biochar, another water conserving strategy, using abundant overstocked pinyon and juniper biomass.

[countryboy]

I just spent two days with a Navajo farm (a non-profit community food sustainability operation) that doesn't have running water. Imagine having a farm in north central New Mexico that was only watered with ingenious surface water management and rooftop catchment! They are doing it pretty successfully, though it is definitely a challenge. In long conversations with them, they are at once desirous of more and easier water, but are not convinced that access to artificial sources would be a good thing in the long run - they fear they would become as grotesquely wasteful as the white folks. I admire them and their dedication and purpose immensely.

I am helping them to create capacity to make biochar, another water conserving strategy, using abundant overstocked pinyon and juniper biomass.

Wait, white folks waste more water than black and brown folks?

[jes'fuchinwitcha]

Wait, white folks waste more water than black and brown folks?

That's the buzz around the water fountain... oops, I mean the water catchment!

[countryboy]

That's the buzz around the water fountain... oops, I mean the water catchment!

Yeah, sure it is. Based on what, exactly?

[jes'fuchinwitcha]

Yeah, sure it is. Based on what, exactly?

My assumption was long-festering racism resulting from a couple of centuries of abuse.