A communityâs health is tied to the health of its land and rivers, scientists, environmentalists and Indigenous people agreed last week at a two-day Columbia River conference.
Speakers at the âLower Columbia River Estuary: One River, Ethics Matterâ conference shared the myriad ways that the Columbia River shapes their lives and why it needs to be protected.
âWe all have an obligation to save our water. The water is ours to protect, for our ancestors and future generations to come,â said Philip Harju, chairman of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.
Last weekâs two-day conference helped the approximately 500 attendees examine the history of the local watershed, the riverâs connections to Indigenous peoples and the future of stewardship for the river, especially as the Columbia River Treaty is renegotiated.