The United States government does not have a responsibility to “take affirmative steps to secure water” for the Navajo Nation, the US Supreme Court has ruled, dealing a blow to the Indigenous community’s efforts to outline its water rights amid historic drought.
In a 5-4 decision (PDF) on Thursday morning, the top court said an 1868 treaty between the US government and the Navajo tribe that established the Navajo Reservation “reserved necessary water” for the community’s needs.
