Ongoing Klamath Basin Water Conflict Fueled by Climate Change and Racism

KQED's Forum

KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 7 December 2021

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Fish have a sacred role for the Klamath Tribes in the Klamath Basin, which spans part of Southern Oregon and Northern California. An 1864 treaty gives tribes the "exclusive right of taking fish in the streams and lakes,” but drought and poor water quality are killing the fish and causing a fight over resources between indigenous tribes and white farmers who were promised certain water allocations of their own. A new Fault Lines documentary by Al Jazeera called "When the Water Stopped," delves into the different sides of the conflict that is fueled by climate change, decades of federal land mismanagement and racism. According to activist and Klamath tribal member Joey Gentry, “our water crisis still exists today because of racism against the tribe, and racism against the tribe exists, in part, today because of our water crisis." We'll talk with Gentry and environmental reporter Emma Marris about the ongoing conflict and what it will take to resolve it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for KQWED Podcasts comes from Landmark College, holding their annual Summer Institute for educators from June 24 through 26th.
0:09.1	More information at landmark.edu slash LCSI.
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0:27.8	Data thresholds may vary.
0:30.1	From KQD in San Francisco, I'm Alexis Madrigal.
0:45.8	Up north on the California-Oregon border, there's a water conflict.
0:49.2	That's a microcosm of what's coming to the west as the climate changes and old political paradigms break down.
0:55.0	It pits members of the Klamath tribes against multi-generational white farmers and anti-government extremists.
1:01.0	And as tensions have risen, the underlying bigotry has come right up to the surface.
1:05.0	As tribe member, Joey Gensry puts it.
1:08.0	Our water crisis still exists today because of racism against the tribe,
1:13.0	and racism against the tribe exists in part today because of our water crisis.
1:17.6	We'll talk about a new documentary on the Klamath Crisis,
1:20.0	and then we'll meet a young political candidate who hopes his experience with homelessness
1:23.3	will help him solve the Bay Area's problems.
1:25.6	That's all next after this news.
1:37.3	Welcome to Forum. I'm Alexis Madrigal. In a new documentary, when the water stopped,
	...

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