There are approximately 25 Indian tribes living in the United States in the border region outlined by the 1983 La Paz agreement (e.g. 100 kilometers north and south of the international boundary). There is a similar number of Indian tribes living in the Mexican part of the border region. Collectively, the indigenous populations in this region (California, Baja California, Arizona, and Texas) count for over forty thousand people and encompass a land base of over three million acres. The original territory of these tribes once covered the region now bisected by the international boundary and, as a result, many of the Indians living on the U.S. side still maintain strong cross-border ties with their Mexican relations.

Despite their long and intimate knowledge of their lands and environment, these Indian tribes have largely been excluded from conventional environmental programs with the exception of the recent Border 21 initiatives and discussion. The critical problem for the future will be to integrate these tribal societies and their present-day territories into a shared, binational vision for the border region.

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