The Columbia Basin Transboundary Youth Network (CBTYN) is a new organization of  young professional Tribal and non-Tribal members with the purpose of empowering youth in the American  and Canadian Columbia River Basins. The Columbia River spans two countries and impacts both our environment and our well-being on both sides of the border.

The group is seeking,  for young citizens of both nations, more participation in decision-making and engagement with Basin leaders since they will be the direct heirs of the environment, the economy and the well-being that will be the result of those decisions.

CBTYN member Tessa Terbasket says, “Unlike the people of the Columbia Basin, the waters of the Columbia flow between jurisdictions and across borders. Historical wrongdoings have disconnected the communities of the Columbia and have taken away the voice of the river itself. Current social and ecological perspectives demand a re-connection to water, place and each other.”

Their mission statement says, “The Columbia Basin Transboundary Youth Network works to engage young leaders in a transboundary forum of communication, education, and research, to enact positive change through sharing diverse basin perspectives and values, and to participate in policy dialogue and decision-making in higher capacities within the Columbia River Basin.”

If you are interested in becoming a member, please go here or send an email to ColumbiaYouthNetwork@gmail.com.