Introduction - Governing Transboundary Waters: Canada, the United States, and Indigenous Communities - page 11

through a literature of key texts and studies related to transboundary water
governance. In particular, I focus on identifying the links between borders (colonial
bordering), water governance, and the politics of scale. I outline key transboundary
water governance mechanisms in the Canada-U.S. context and highlight how one
of the original binational institutions - the International Joint Commission - has
begun to implement changes to address changing environments and political
cultures. I also highlight opportunities for greater inclusion, particularly in relation
to recognizing Treaty rights and formalizing processes for meaningful decision-
making processes.
In the second part, I examine the cultural politics of transboundary water
governance, as it pertains to Indigenous communities that live “between borders”.
I first highlight the ongoing impacts of colonial bordering and how contemporary
governance mechanisms fall short in protecting Indigenous communities (particu-
larly as these mechanisms are rooted in a nation-state framework and treat the
borders as fixed). I also highlight environmental issues that impact all people, but
have a particular impact on Indigenous communities because of the traditional
reliance on marine-based resources for sustenance (for example, the politics of
shellfish contamination discussed in Chapter 5) . I also show how power dynamics
are often built into state-run governance mechanisms.
Through narrative, I explore the second question: how Indigenous-led
mechanisms are meeting goals of environmental protection and self-determination.
The stories include both governance structures (such as the Coast Salish Gathering
of Chapter 6) as well as performative techniques that strengthen communities and
build allies (such as the Canoe Journey of Chapter 7 and the Water Walkers of
Chapter 8). The cases also examine how counter-hegemonic techniques such as
“strategic essentialism”, “performativity”, and “critical cartography” are changing
the dynamics of transboundary water governance. The case of Luna, the “lost
whale”, demonstrates the complexities of boundaries, both in terms of political
boundaries and cultural (animal-human) boundaries. All cases encourage a more
nuanced approach and critical inquiry into transboundary governance.
Chapter descriptions
In Chapter 2, I provide the conceptual tools necessary to analyze the complex
hydrosocial network as it relates to the cultural politics of transboundary water
governance. I situate key literature related to borders, scales, and governance. I
also introduce the literature that frames water issues and management as a
hydrosocial context.
In Chapter 3, I introduce the reader to a range of formal governance mechanisms
in the Canada-U.S. context. I provide an introductory overview and analysis of
four transboundary institutions, operating at different scales that govern water along
the Canada-U.S. border: The International Joint Commission (IJC), the North
American Free Trade Agreement's Commission for Environmental Cooperation
(CEC), the British Columbia-Washington Environmental Cooperation Council
(ECC), and the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC).