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A More Equitable Colorado Compact

Colorado river, Grand Canyon
David Denicolò
/
flickr
Colorado river, Grand Canyon

When negotiators gathered a hundred years ago to hammer out the details of how water in the Colorado River would be divvied up, Indigenous tribes, whose relationship with the river dates back millennia, weren’t invited to the table.

It was no mistake that Native Americans were left out of the Colorado River Commission. In fact, as our guest Dan McCool explains, denying native people water was essential to the execution of manifest destiny. That injustice didn’t end with the ratification of the Colorado River Compact. In many ways, the systematic denial and disenfranchisement of Indigenous peoples’ water rights continues to this day. McCool joins us to discuss why, and what can be done to move toward equitable distribution of the Colorado River.

Airdate: Friday, Dec. 23, 2022 at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022 at 11 a.m.

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