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KANW is a member of the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration of public media stations that serves the Western states of Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Our mission is to tell stories about the people, places and issues across the Mountain West.From land and water management to growth in the expanding West to our unique culture and heritage, we'll explore the issues that define us and the challenges we face.

What is at stake for Indigenous nations along the Colorado River?

Colorado River water is seen on the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe Reservation.
Jimmy Romo
/
KNPR
Colorado River water is seen on the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe Reservation.

The Indigenous perspective on the Colorado River is often overlooked. Jimmy Romo, an Indigenous Affairs reporter for KNPR in Las Vegas, has been covering what is at stake for tribes as water levels continue to decline. Our Living Lands Producer Daniel Spaulding spoke to Romo about his reporting.

“A big thing that we're missing sometimes in the conversation about the Colorado River is that tribes have water rights and all 30 tribes amount to about a third of that water, but still tribes are not at the negotiating table for these conservation efforts,” Romo said.

I joined Boise State Public Radio as the Indigenous Affairs Reporter and Producer for Our Living Lands, a weekly radio show that focuses on climate change and its impact on Indigenous communities. It is a collaboration between the Mountain West News Bureau, Native Public Media and Koahnic Broadcast Corporation.