Malissa Tayaba, vice chairperson of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, is leading a charge to protect tribal water rights and preserve cultural connections to California’s waterways. Tayaba, who also serves as the tribe’s director of traditional ecological knowledge, has become a prominent voice in the fight for equitable water management and the preservation of tribal cultural practices.
“What happens to the salmon eventually happens to us.” — Malissa Tayaba, Vice Chairperson
“What happens to the salmon eventually happens to us,” Tayaba says, emphasizing the interconnectedness of tribal well-being and environmental health.
The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, traditionally fishing people along the Sacramento and American rivers, have been actively involved in legal challenges against state water policies they believe are detrimental to Delta ecosystems.
Under Tayaba’s leadership, the tribe sponsored Assembly Bill 2614, which aimed to add tribal cultural uses of water to the state water code. This legislation would protect these uses in the same manner as all other water rights — and though it didn’t pass on this round, Tayaba and the tribe have not given up.
“You’ll see a new version of this act coming this year from us. We haven’t given up,” she says.
Tayaba has also been instrumental in filing a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency against the state water board’s voluntary agreements approach. The complaint seeks to address the degraded condition of Delta waters, which has impeded the tribe’s ability to perform cultural and religious practices.
“We want to protect the water, but also the ones who cannot speak for themselves: the animals, the plants,” Tayaba explains.
Her efforts extend beyond legal action. Tayaba is working to revitalize tribal traditions, including basketry, traditional song and dance and language preservation. She sees these cultural practices as intrinsically linked to land and water stewardship.
As California grapples with ongoing water management challenges, Tayaba’s work highlights the critical importance of including tribal perspectives in environmental decision-making.
“Our mantra is culture is ecology and ecology is culture,” Tayaba says, underscoring the deep connection between tribal identity and natural resources.
With climate change and water scarcity posing increasing threats, Tayaba’s advocacy for tribal water rights and cultural preservation serves as a reminder of the vital role Indigenous knowledge can play in sustainable water management for all Californians.
