ABSTRACT
The contrast between a participatory culture and a highly judicial dominant culture is illustrated by examining the relationship between the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and the US government during negotiations relating to land and water. The negotiations culminated in the signing of the Timbisha Shoshone Homeland Act by President Clinton in November 2000. The Homeland Act provides the Timbisha Shoshone with a permanent land base and water rights in California and Nevada, in and around Death Valley National Park. The location of Death Valley National Park is shown in Figure 1.1. Effective social participation, particularly by the Timbisha Shoshone and, during the latter stages of negotiation, by government representatives, enabled the negotiations to conclude successfully. Looking back at the history of the negotiations, the social participation practised by the Timbisha Shoshone was superior to that of the more dominant judicial culture. It was not until the US government adopted a more participatory stance that negotiations proceeded to a positive conclusion. The processes of effective participation still influence interaction between the Timbisha Shoshone and the dominant culture. Although other government agencies were involved in the negotiations, this study focuses on the National Park Service (NPS), a bureau within the US Department of the Interior, because the NPS played the most critical role with respect to allocation of land and water between the US government and the Timbisha Shoshone. Timbisha Shoshone homelands https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781849774574/7286753b-5be7-4610-98ce-400271f2fca9/content/fig1_1_B.jpg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/>
