Near 40 Indigenous Peoples from throughout the world attended. Tom Goldtooth, director of IEN attended, with Alberto Saldamando, legal counsel of the International Indian Treaty Council. Marilyn Harris Tewa, elder spokesperson for the Hopi religious leaders at Mishongnovi was there to talk about the water depletion from the Navajo-aquifer as a result of the Peabody Energy coal mine at Big Mountain/Black Mesa. Jim Enote, from Zuni, was there to talk about traditional knowledge of using traditional farming practices, in addition to the protection of the sacred Salt Lake from mining interests. Other Indigenous peoples from Canada were there. Most other Indigenous peoples were from South America, Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Africa and Asia.

At the World Water Forum, both IEN and Tebtebba Foundation (Indigenous Peoples International Centre for Policy Research and Education - an Indigenous grassroots organization based in the Philippines) helped organize an Indigenous Peoples preparatory meeting at the World Water Forum. Also an Indigenous Peoples Caucus was formed from where collective decisions were made to reflect the concerns and issues facing Indigenous Peoples worldwide. From this organizing work, an Indigenous Peoples declaration on water was developed.