US Administration Proposes Rule to Protect Tribal Water Rights and Ensure Cleaner Resources for Indigenous Communities.

The US administration has advanced a policy that aims to ensure cleaner water for tribes and protect their rights to resources such as fish and aquatic plants. The rule would require states and the federal government to account for tribal reserved rights in water quality goals and pollution limits for rivers, lakes and streams. It will be proposed in 2022 and aims to allow tribes to safely consume fish, aquatic plants, wild rice, and other resources they have a right to hunt and gather through treaties or federal laws. Tribes have generally praised the rule, which allows them to maintain traditional practices such as fishing, hunting and harvesting plants dependent on freshwater resources.