91´«Ã½

Wind River Water Forum

May 1, 2026

• Time: 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Community breakfast: 8:00 to 9:00 a.m.
• Community lunch: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
• Location: Frank B. Wise Building, Fort Washakie, WY

Join us for an in-depth discussion of water management issues facing Tribal Nations on the Wind River Reservation and elsewhere across the United States. More information coming soon!

For more information and to register:

Wind River Water Forum 2026 Agenda

Please join us, in person or over Zoom (), for a Water Forum addressing the historical, current, and future water-management challenges facing the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Panel discussions among members of the Wind River Water 91´«Ã½ Control Board, as well as community-based organizations doing water-related projects on the reservation, will be featured alongside research presentations on water-management issues confronting Tribal Nations across the United States. An optional tour will also be offered to visit water infrastructure across the reservation.

Friday, May 1

The main portion of the Water Forum will be held on Friday, May 1, from 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m., at the Frank B. Wise Building in Fort Washakie (3 Ethete Road, Fort Washakie, WY 82514). In addition to our panels and keynote address, a community breakfast will be held from 8:00-9:00 a.m., followed by a community lunch from 12:30-1:30 p.m. In-person attendance is encouraged, and online attendance over Zoom is also welcomed ().

8:00-9:00 a.m. MDT: Community Breakfast

9:00-9:30 a.m. MDT: Prayer & Introduction

• James Trosper, Tribal Elder
• Travis Shakespeare, Co-Chair, Wind River Water 91´«Ã½ Control Board (invited)
• Orville St. Clair, Co-Chair, Wind River Water 91´«Ã½ Control Board (invited)

9:30-11:00 a.m. MDT: Wind River Water 91´«Ã½ Control Board (WRWRCB) Panel

• This first panel, composed of Tribal Water Engineer Lokilo St. Clair and WRWRCB members, this first panel will discuss foundational aspects of water management on the Wind River Reservation, as well as cutting-edge issues the Board is now facing.
• Moderator: John Washakie, Former Deputy Tribal Water Engineer (invited)
• Panelists: Lokilo St. Clair, Tribal Water Engineer, and WRWRCB Members

11:00-11:15 a.m. MDT: Break

11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. MDT: Community Organizations Panel.

• A host of community-based organizations are doing water-related work on the Wind River Reservation, and this second panel will shed light on several of these organizations and their respective projects.
• Moderator: Dr. Tarissa Spoonhunter, Asst. Professor at Haub School of Env’t. and Natural 91´«Ã½ & Director of High Plains American Indian Research Institute, Univ. of Wyoming
• Panelists:
  • Jason Baldes,
  • Big Wind Carpenter,
  • Colleen Friday,
  • Shila Aragon,

12:30-1:30 p.m. MDT: Community Lunch

1:30-2:45 p.m. MDT: Beyond Wind River Panel

• Tribal Nations across the United States are navigating challenges similar to, and different from, those facing the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes, and this third panel will present research on some of these challenges, including their potential connections to future water management on the Wind River Reservation.
• Moderator, Daniel Anderson, Water Law Fellow, Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural 91´«Ã½, Energy, and the Environment, University of Colorado Law School
• Panelists:
  • Bethany Aragon, Research Fellow, Gina Guy Center for Land & Water Law, University of Wyoming College of Law
  • Jason Robison, Professor, University of Wyoming College of Law
  • Alyson White Eagle, Tribal Water Institute Fellow, Native American Rights Fund

2:45-3:00 p.m. MDT: Break

3:00-3:30 p.m. MDT: Closing Keynote

• Ivan Posey, Wyoming House District 33 Representative

Saturday, May 2

Led by past and present members of the Wind River Water 91´«Ã½ Control Board, including Richard Baldes, Gary Collins, and Howard Brown, an optional tour will be offered on Saturday, May 2, from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., involving site visits to water infrastructure across the reservation. The tour will depart from the Frank B. Wise Building in Fort Washakie (3 Ethete Road, Fort Washakie, WY 82514). Simple grab-and-go breakfast and lunch will be provided, and the tour will be followed by a debrief at the Wise Building from 12:00-2:00 p.m. Please fill out this if you are interested in joining the tour.

8:00-8:15 a.m. MDT: Meet at Frank B. Wise Building + Load Vehicles

8:15 a.m.-12:00 p.m. MDT: Tour

• Itinerary: Bull Lake, proposed Steamboat Reservoir project location, Diversion Dam/Wyoming Canal, Ray Lake, and Washakie Reservoir.

12:00-2:00 p.m. MDT: Debrief + Sack Lunch at Frank B. Wise Building