Recommendation 1: Support and strengthen tribal sovereignty
Problem
The potential for tribal leadership in landscape conservation efforts has not been fully realized. While the successes of tribal agencies in stewarding natural resources have been built on a foundation of tribal sovereignty and nation-building, the tribes’ federal counterparts often fail to grasp the importance of sovereignty in developing effective partnerships. Through focused collaboration and support, tribes could augment federal efforts to effectively address a growing list of natural resource challenges across the West, including the collapse of fisheries, water shortages, and forest health and fire management.
Goals
- To encourage the sovereignty of tribes — especially in the areas of self-governance, economic development, and education — enabling greater investment and cooperation in natural resource research and management.
- Ensure, through federal policy, that tribal sovereignty is supported and recognized in the context of land management.
Recommendation
Support tribal sovereignty by working with Native American governments as one of the three sources of sovereignty in America — along with state and federal governments — particularly with regards to the conservation of natural resources.
