Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Inter-Tribal Watershed Council (YRITWC) - spanning the U.S. State of Alaska
and the Canadian Yukon Territory. Other intertribal governance mechanisms
between Canada and the U.S. include the Coast Salish Gathering, discussed in
Chapter 6. There are also a great number of tribes and bands that work between
state and provincial borders, such as the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
in Washington State and Treaty groups in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan,
such as the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. In addition, there
is increased work on providing a foundation for international dialogue between
Indigenous groups (such as the Arctic Indigenous Knowledge Exchange and Indig-
enous Climate Change groups run through the United Nations).
The rise of these intertribal governance mechanisms is attributable to a number
of causes, including the ongoing need to address extraterritorial pollution, and the
increased political will among Indigenous communities to work together as a
coalition to address these issues in a unified voice (representing a “scaling up”).
But what is an important component of the development of these mechanisms
(which I explore in this topic) is the intentional way in which the structures are
designed. Great effort is made by the intertribal organizations to reinforce and honor
traditional governance structures and models, building on traditional structures and
protocols. As Coast Salish leader Tom Sampson summarizes, “we protect the water
for our people, by our people”. Further, taking charge of the directives and direction
of the environmental groups is interwoven with acts of decolonization - rebuilding
capacity, learning to trust each other again, transitioning away from dependency,
and operating outside of a dominant framework. Thus, for many of these groups,
environmental protection is the guiding principle that brings them together and
rationalizes the institution, but the purview is much wider than just environmental
protection. Rather, the intertribal groups' mission is wrapped up with inter-
generational healing, cultural revitalization, decolonization, and preparing the next
generation of leaders. In order to accomplish this, the groups often take on a
performative approach (such as the Canoe Journey) to meet interconnected goals
of reconnecting people to their environment while amplifying their efforts known
to the wider world. These efforts, then, are both about environmental protection
(from the ground up and through building allies) as well as cultural revitalization.
This work also takes on the responsibility of training the youth to become leaders
in their community. The leaders understand the need to have the next generation
capable of “walking between worlds”. To stay rooted in the cultural traditions of
their ancestors, yet be fluent in the ways of the dominant culture, is seen as an
important component to address the multifaceted issues facing their communities,
including environmental degradation and continued economic hardships. These
wider purviews are represented in the governance structures. These wider goals
of cultural revitalization and education are distinct from the other transboundary
mechanisms discussed in this chapter, but are more prevalent in the second part
of this topic. The intertribal governance mechanisms can be seen as counter-
hegemonic activities that strengthen and empower the communities to address
hardships within their own terms. As seen throughout this volume, addressing
 
 
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