Biagaweit: Securing Water from the Mighty River in the Snake River Basin Adjudication

24 Pages Posted: 20 Apr 2016

See all articles by Jeanette Wolfley

Jeanette Wolfley

University of New Mexico - School of Law

Date Written: 2016

Abstract

This symposium article describes the Shoshone and Bannock peoples’ journey to quantify their water rights in the SRBA. It begins with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribal cultural perspective on water and water rights. It then discusses the concept of tribal homelands and the water required and necessary for sustaining a tribally reserved home as guaranteed in the Fort Bridger Treaty of 1868, including a discussion of the Winters doctrine which affirms the treaty’s promises. It concludes with a review of the Fort Hall Indian Water Rights Agreement.

“Biagaweit” is the Shoshone word for the Snake River. The mighty Snake River begins its journey in the Shoshone and Bannock Tribal peoples’ aboriginal area (Yellowstone Park area in Wyoming), flows through the original homelands of the Bannocks and many Shoshone bands who lived on the Biagaweit.

Keywords: Water Rights, Shoshone, Bannock, Indigenous Rights, Snake River Basin Adjudication, Fort Hall Indian Water Rights Agreement

Suggested Citation

Wolfley, Jeanette, Biagaweit: Securing Water from the Mighty River in the Snake River Basin Adjudication (2016). 52 Idaho Law Review 313 (2016)., UNM School of Law Research Paper No. 2016-03, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2766525 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2766525

Jeanette Wolfley (Contact Author)

University of New Mexico - School of Law ( email )

1117 Stanford, N.E.
Albuquerque, NM 87131
United States

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
42
Abstract Views
401
PlumX Metrics