“So there are still about 540 tribes that have done nothing to lay a claim or foundation for their water.” “Out of the 576 federally recognized tribes, there’s only about three dozen tribes that have done anything with their water rights,” Martel told Cowboy State Daily at a recent event in Cody.

The GYC is hosting screenings throughout the Yellowstone region with events that include remarks and Q&A segments from experts like Martel. “Tribal Waters,” a film produced by Teton Gravity Research and presented in partnership with Patagonia, tackles the issue of water rights that are legally owned by Native American tribes but that have been usurped by local and state governments.

In his role as the Wind River Conservation Associate with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC), Martel serves almost as an intermediary between Native American tribes and local governments, representing tribal interests in a society that has for generations overlooked native rights.īut Martel, a member of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, is getting an assist from a film series touring the region.

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