THE RIVER RUNS THROUGH US

Aug 8

Quote:

At times, people can build greater capacity for ecological grief and healing when they first choose to face their own inner river of grief. In Chapter 10, The River Runs Through Us, I share the first time I connected deeply with the flowing Green River in the Southwest, as well as the first time as an adult I allowed my tears to flow in the presence of another human without any substance or medicine.

The episode then flows into my conversation with Colleen Cooley. Colleen grew up wandering the washes, mesas, and sandstones in Shą́ą́ʼtóhí, a small community located on the Navajo Nation in northeast Arizona. She is from the communities of Shonto and Blue Gap, Arizona and this is how she identifies herself as a Diné (Navajo) woman. Colleen is passionate about the protection and conservation of the diverse landscapes, cultures, and waters that she is surrounded by because it is part of who she is and where she comes from. It is instilled in the stories, teachings, and clans that have been passed down to her. In addition, she is an advocate and raft guide on the San Juan River and Green River, a facilitator, a researcher, an educator, an amateur photographer. The short film “Water Flows Flows Together” is a film highlighting Colleen’s life story as a River Guide and Diné woman while raising awareness to the challenges that many in her culture face as far as not having access to drinkable water.

Colleen offers necessary perspective and ancient wisdom on the sacredness of water, and her own journey home back to her ancestry and herself when connecting with these wild places. She also shares her hope for the Earth through telling stories of guiding young people on the River, and calls us all to action to connect and protect the Earth’s waters.

Each episode ends with a Root Awareness meditation.