Columbia River Treaty: Include tribes

Re: “Canada, U.S. talk future of Columbia River flow” [Aug. 11, A1]:

Indigenous sovereigns are part of Canada’s treaty negotiating team, but not the U.S. team. In my work with the Ethics & Treaty Project, I have met with representatives from the State Department starting in 2013, and I have encouraged diplomatic staff to include the 15 tribes in the U.S. negotiating team. Indigenous people have suffered through genocide, including loss of salmon central to people of the Columbia River. After 10 years, three administrations and 18 negotiating rounds, tribes remain missing from the U.S. treaty team.

The front-page story on the negotiations is juxtaposed with a story on the deadly Maui wildfire — a reminder of climate change catastrophe. Climate change and salmon extinction are two reasons the U.S. and Canada need to add ecosystem management — health of the river — as a third primary treaty purpose coequal with hydropower and flood-risk management.

River decisions need to be grounded in ethics: justice, stewardship and autonomy. Starting in 2014, we’ve helped to facilitate an annual One River, Ethics Matter (OREM) conference hosted by Indigenous sovereigns and academic institutions. OREM is about the Columbia River’s past and future: genocide, healing and ethics. Readers can learn more at riverethics.org.

John Osborn, M.D., Vashon

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