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Hello and

this is a special episode of the excerpt.

today is Thursday January 25th, 2024 and this is a special episode of the excerpt. According to a 1908 U.S. Supreme Court decision known as the Winter's Doctrine,

Native American reservations are entitled to enough water

to meet their tribes' needs.

That doctrine was recently invoked during a push by tribes to restore the Klamath

River, which flows through Oregon and California.

The goal, in part, to restore the spawning grounds for fish for the first time in more than

100 years. Here with more on the ongoing battle over indigenous water rights,

we're joined by an indigenous affairs reporter

from the Arizona Republic,

part of the Gennett Network, Deborah Kroll.

Thanks for joining us, Deborah.

Thanks for having me.

So let's start with the big picture here.

Briefly, can you tell us why the Klamath River is so important to these tribes who live along it.

The Klamath River is basically the basis of life for the seven tribes and not coincidentally seven tribal cultures who have called the basin home for the last 15,000 years.

It's a source of sustenance through fishing. It also sustains other wildlife like deer and

squirrels and foxes. Virtually all the sites that are sacred to these tribes are either

right on the water or close to the water.

...