Not just about water
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Editor,
What’s not to like about the CSKT Compact? If you like your water, you can keep your water. Trust us. Oops ... only to a decreased amount of 1.4 acre feet (RDA maximum) from a historical 2.7 acre foot (farm turn-out. See the CSKT Climate Change Strategic Plan, September 2013).
If you like your water right, you can keep it. Trust us. Oops … only water right will be transferred to the Federal Government in trust for the CSKT tribe and you will receive a delivery certificate of unspecified/unquantified amounts. (See the CSKT Water Compact).
As a Montana Citizen, if you like being under the jurisdiction and control of the State, you can keep it. Trust us. Oops … “with respect to subject or to remove non-tribal rights on the reservation from the jurisdiction and control of the State and place that somewhere else at the tribe’s request.” (See the grand bargain wordage from Chris Tweeten, Compact Commission, Aug. 2, 2012).
If you like your choice of agricultural production, you can keep them. Trust us. Oops … all agricultural producers will be encouraged to produce native crops. (Again refer to the CSKT Climate Change Strategic Plan September 2013 and FJBC Expert testimony). I don’t think potatoes, melons, grains or cattle are native crops.
If you like paying taxes, you can keep paying taxes, only you can pay lots more when the tribe owns Kerr Dam and removes it from the tax rolls. The taxpayers get to make up the 1.2 million in lost revenue. (See Lake County Leader article Dec. 4, 2014).
If you enjoy living in this beautiful area, you can continue living. Trust us. Oops … “those whites which cannot be bought or taxed out will have to be encouraged to leave by other means.” (See Joe Felsman’s letter, 1985). “We will strive to regain ownership and control of all lands within our reservation boundaries.” See Flathead Culture Overview April 1996 (CSKT Vision Statement).
Read the Compact and references. Understand the words and the intent. This compact is not just about water.
Sheila Vallejo
St. Ignatius
