1. Gathering Background Information and the Role of Technicians for the Blackfeet Water Compact
With Gerald Lunak

2. Lame Bull Treaty of 1855

3. History of the Blackfeet Water Compact
From the Lame Bull Treaty of 1855 to the current status of the compact, there have been treaties and laws passed which have brought us to where the Blackfeet Water Compact now stands
Highlights
Treaty of 1855
The Winters Doctrine 1908
The McCarren Amendment 1952
Establishment of the Montana Reserved Water Rights Commission 1979
The Blackfeet Tribal Council approval of the Blackfeet Water Compact 2007
Approval of the Blackfeet Water Compact by the Montana State Legislature 2009
Compact is currently working its way through House and Senate

4. Who gathers background information?
Tribal Departments
Tribal Legal Team
Tribal Engineering Consultants
Other Entities
Studies by groups
Historical documents
Federal and State Agencies
The Blackfeet Water Compact has been an ongoing effort since 1979.

5. Information and Data gathering is a moving target depending on
Priorities of the Blackfeet Tribe (Council)
Priorities of other partners within the Upper Missouri Basin
Availability of Funds (Studies, Federal Funds, and so forth)
Face to Face Negotiations (brings out differences)

7. What is the basic information needed to negotiate a compact?
Water
How much is there?
Lakes
Streams
Groundwater
How much water is needed to fulfill the purposes of the reservation
Land
What is the land base for the claim?
Land Use-Irrigated, dryland crop, range Etc.
Other Purposes: stock, fisheries, habitat, MR&I, etc.

9. Role of Technicians in Negotiations
Blackfeet Water Compact technicians are vital for the negotiations to move forward
Who have been the technicians for the Blackfeet Water Compact
Tribal Departments
Federal Team
Tribal Council (varies)
Tribal Contractors
Tribal Lobbyist

11. Responsibilities of the Technicians
The tasks of technicians can vary depending on the issue to be resolved
It really does take a village to energize a water compact negotiation
The ability to move the process forward is totally dependent on the technician’s ability to resolve outstanding issues
Negotiator
Mediator
Problem Solver
Facilitator

12. Blackfeet Country 2010….they were here!

13. Role of Technicians in Negotiating the Blackfeet Compact with the Department of Interior
Water Settlement Projects
Resolution of claims against the federal government
DEC reviews (design, engineering, construction)

14. Blackfeet Footprint
The technicians and tribe are critical to keeping a Blackfeet footprint on the compact
A core group of tribal technicians must be able to articulate political, personnel, community, and financial issues relevant to the Blackfeet Compact
In spite of the best technical efforts, the final outcome is decided by a vote of the Blackfeet Tribal Membership