On this edition of Your Call’s One Planet Series, Indigenous rights and environmental advocate Amy Bowers Cordalis discusses her new book, The Water Remembers: My Indigenous Family's Fight to Save a River and a Way of Life. Cordalis chronicles a multigenerational struggle to protect Indigenous cultural heritage and the Klamath River from environmental damage, which led to the largest river restoration project in history.
She writes: "The lessons from Klamath dam removal are critical now because the relationship between humans and nature is out of balance across the planet. Klamath dam removal proves that humans can work with nature to create a thriving future on planet earth. Dam removal is just the beginning. The Klamath dams embodied the legacy of the dark underbelly of the founding of this country that supported the industrialization of nature at the expense of Indigenous peoples, the environment, and marginalized communities. The ecological consequences of colonization, while devastating, need not be permanent. Dam removal sends a clear message: Indigenous rights, leadership, and lifeways are not obstacles to progress — they are critical tools for sustaining life on earth that we all should embrace. Dam removal can end the colonial era on the Klamath River and begin a new era of healing through restorative justice. This starts with mutual respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples, nature, and business."
Guest:
Amy Bowers Cordalis, member and former general counsel of the Yurok Nation, the largest Indigenous Nation in California, attorney, fisherwoman, advocate for Indigenous rights and environmental restoration, and co-founder and executive director of the Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group
Resources:
Amy Bowers Cordalis: Bay Area Book Tour Events
November 6 at Book Passage in Corte Madera at 6PM
November 7 at Copperfield’s Books in Santa Rosa at 7PM
November 8 at Point Reyes Presbyterian Church at 4pm, sponsored by Point Reyes Books
The Guardian: One year after a historic dam removal, teens inspire river restoration worldwide: ‘It turns out you can win’
