Tribe councilman outlines action steps to care for Lake Coeur d'Alene

COEUR d’ALENE — Caj Matheson outlined a call for action Tuesday to protect Lake Coeur d’Alene. 

“The first thing we have to do is learn to love it,” said the councilman for the Coeur d'Alene Tribe and director of the Tribe's Department of Natural Resources. 

Not to love it for recreational or economic reasons, but the way the late Felix Aripa did before he died in 2016 at the age of 93, he said. 

“It was a part of who he was,” Matheson said. 

Aripa, a beloved tribal elder and World War II veteran, often spoke about coming home from war and going to the lake for nourishment and revitalizing his spirit.

“I mean love it in the same way Felix Aripa loved that lake,” Matheson said. “Make it a part of who you are and it becomes a part of your identity.” 

Matheson delivered a 30-minute talk to about 100 people during the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber’s Upbeat Breakfast at The Coeur d’Alene Resort. 

The lake is in the center of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe’s aboriginal territory, which spans more than 5 million acres today in Idaho, Washington and Montana. It is the heart of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, which has been connected to it for thousands of years. 

The region is also “strategically and ecologically super critical in the Indian world,” Matheson said. 

He said tribal values have long been shaped by the necessity and need to live in harmony with the natural world. It wants those natural resources to be around for generations to come. 

The lake, surrounded by mountains, must be cared for in the same way someone would care for their own home, he said. 

“We're going to have to figure out how to do that in a way that is sustainable,” Matheson said. 

Problems have surfaced. 

A century of mining left nearly 100 million metric tons of metals on the lake’s bottom, leading to a federal “Superfund” designation. 

Some, Matheson said, refer to Lake Coeur d’Alene as “the largest mine waste repository in the world.” 

Issues related to phosphorus from development have negatively affected the lake’s water quality and harmful algae blooms have invaded the southern portion of the lake, releasing toxins and creating health risks. 

Nutrients from fertilizers continue to make their way into the lake. 

He said they are seeing more of such trends, not less. 

“The way we manage all of our lands in this region has an impact,” Matheson said, adding, “We have serious issues.” 

He outlined action steps toward a solution, including each person accepting a role as a lake guardian. 

“It’s all of our issues,” he said. 

He spoke of the need for unity in management, realizing little things matter, sacrifice and seeking the “least impactful” thing when it comes to Lake Coeur d’Alene. 

Adopting a frame of mind to be “responsible for everything we have,” was another key he cited. 

Matheson said the area will continue to grow because it is a beautiful place and many want to live here, so sustainable development is key.

All, young and old, have a role and he called on them to “come together in a relationship in a way that centers around protecting the lake.” 

“That’s super critical if we’re going to see the lake continue to be our gem,” he said.