Our tribes — the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe and the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe — have lived and stewarded lands in the California desert since time immemorial. … For over 40 years, our traditional territories have been targeted for the corporate extraction of vulnerable desert water resources by Cadiz, Inc., a foreign investor-backed company. We have successfully opposed their efforts to extract and sell desert ground water, but still they continue to pursue an unrealistic scheme to drain the desert to make a profit for their shareholders. Today, we write to urge others – both tribal nations and tribal allies to stand with us – in solidarity against Cadiz’s efforts.
–Written by Daniel Leivas, chairman of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, and Timothy Williams, chairman of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe.