Merrell-Ann Phare is a lawyer and the founding Executive Director of the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources, a national First Nation charitable environmental organisation. She is the author of the book ‘Denying the Source: the Crisis of First Nations Water Rights’ and co-author, with Robert Sandford, of Ethical Water. She is a member of the Forum for Leadership on Water (FLOW), the Water Partners Advisory Committee for the Council of the Federation, and Living Lakes Canada Partners Advisory Committee. Merrell-Ann is Chief Negotiator on behalf of the Northwest Territories in their negotiation of transboundary water agreements in the Mackenzie River Basin and is legal counsel and advisor to a number of First Nation and other governments and organisations regarding water matters. She regularly speaks on water issues and First Nations. Her graduate work in law focussed on Indigenous water rights in the context of international trade agreements.