From supranational to intertribal - Governing Transboundary Waters: Canada, the United States, and Indigenous Communities - page 52

impacted by the terms of the Columbia River Treaty, in particular, First Nations
and Tribes whose social, economic, and cultural fabric is largely disrupted by the
constructions of dams, and the decimation of the salmon habitat. The discussions
in 2013 showed significantly more inclusion of First Nations and Tribes, as well
as inclusion of environmental considerations (both of which were excluded during
the original Treaty of 1962). How this participation translates to change, however,
is yet to be seen.
Regardless of the outcome of the Columbia River Treaty's renegotiation, the
signatories for both the BWT and the CRT do not include the Indigenous nations
that inhabit the lands. This exclusion has led to a series of accords and treaties
signed by Indigenous governments across the borderland. For example, the Tribal
and First Nations Treaty Accord, signed 23 November 2004 at Sault St. Marie,
Michigan “demands that the rights and sovereignty of the Tribes and First Nations
of the Great Lakes be respected and that any governmental effort to protect and
preserve the Waters of the Great Lakes Basin include full participation by Tribes
and First Nations.” They also pledge, “that we share the interests and concerns
about the future of the Great Lakes Waters, further pledging to work together
with each other and with the other governments in the Great Lakes Basin to secure
a healthy future for Great Lakes”. (See Appendix A for full wording of the Accord . 6 )
As a way to address these issues and to insert themselves into the conversation of
transboundary water governance, a number of formal mechanisms, treaties, and
Figure 3.1 The first meeting of the International Joint Commission, 1912.
Source : IJC, Ottawa (used with permission).