From November 12th to 14th, over 150 people gathered at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington for the Columbia River Transboundary Water Governance and Ethics Symposium 2024. The symposium was coordinated by POLIS’ Rheanne Kroschinsky (visiting governance graduate student fellow) and organized by a Steering Committee with membership from the Universities Consortium on Columbia River Governance; University of British Columbia Okanagan; One River, Ethics Matter; North American Youth Parliament for Water; and Gonzaga Institute for Climate. Joanne Taylor, UBC Okanagan postdoctoral researcher, served as Chair of the Steering Committee.
The Universities Consortium on Columbia River Governance was created in 2008 to facilitate a neutral platform for discussion amongst decision-makers, organizations, and public interest groups surrounding Columbia Basin governance issues and processes.
“Our 2024 symposium was the latest in a long series of unofficial, complementary additions to the formal reviews undertaken by Canada and the United States,” said Rheanne Kroschinsky. “These unofficial gatherings offer space for public dialogue and knowledge-sharing amongst groups who have been, or continue to be, directly impacted by the Columbia River Treaty and the decision-making processes around it.”
Lead negotiators take the stage
This year’s symposium featured a panel with members from both the Canadian and U.S. Columbia River Treaty (CRT) negotiating teams, including lead negotiators Kathy Eichenberger (Government of British Columbia), Stephen Gluck (Global Affairs Canada), and Jill Smail (U.S. Department of State). The panel focused on the recent Agreement-in-Principle towards modernizing the CRT, which was reached by the two countries in July 2024. The Agreement-in-Principle represents over a decade of engagement with Canadian Columbia Basin Indigenous Nations, local governments, and residents. The panellists discussed changes since the CRT was originally ratified in 1964, including renewed provisions that protect and support communities and ecosystems in both countries.
Follow-up sessions included a response panel to the negotiating team, with representatives from the B.C. Local Government Committee, the U.S. Local Government Committee, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, and ecological organizations working in the Basin. Further sessions featured subject matter experts and focused on climate change, water quality, salmon reintroduction, and governance.
Ushering in the next era… singing together
One purposeful and important aspect of the symposium was foregrounding voices and perspectives that have been historically excluded from centralized discussions about CRT modernization.
Dr. Jeannette Armstrong (Order of Canada, PhD, UBC Okanagan) gave the keynote Singing Together: One River. Laxlaxtk. She emphasized the need for collaboration and a unified, one-river approach to Columbia governance. She also stressed Indigenous-led governance and restoration as crucial elements to return health and vitality to the river system and the entities that depend upon it.
As illustrated by DR Michel (Executive Director, Upper Columbia United Tribes), “The things we talk about as Tribes are not just for the benefit of the Tribes, they are for the benefit of us all.”
To help usher in the next era of leadership in Columbia Basin governance, the symposium also featured content designed for youth and young professionals. Twenty-eight individuals deepened their knowledge through participation in a special Youth Diplomacy Training program. This was facilitated by Henry Pitts and Guisto Amedeo Boccheni (North American Youth Parliament for Water) and taught by transboundary water conflict and resolution expert Dr. Aaron Wolf (Oregon State University).
Youth rapporteurs closed the symposium by sharing their perspectives and learnings.
“Overall, this year’s symposium was a real success, with diverse representation and rich participation from a variety of interest groups,” said Rheanne Kroschinksy. “We look forward to future opportunities to facilitate public dialogue surrounding the ongoing CRT modernization process, whether it be through another symposium, virtual forums, or written opportunities for input.”
