The question of who owns, has claim to, or controls the water of the Great Lakes should have a simple answer. But in practice it does not. Like many matters pertaining to American geography, it is rooted in a history of stolen land—further complicated by the current, sometimes competing needs of tribal, local, and federal governments; and private interests. Rachel Havrelock curates a conversation delving into water sovereignty, rights, and jurisdiction that challenges the very idea of humans owning water.

This program is the first panel in our Deep Dive: Great Lakes series, curated by Rachel Havrelock.

This program is presented in partnership with University of Illinois at Chicago Freshwater Lab.