Sacred river to the Desert People

Animas River, sacred river to the Indigenous of the Four Corners.
Photo by Venaya Yazzie 2015
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

We don't know what the future holds. As Indigenous peoples of the desert and mountain areas of the Four Corners community: the Navajo, Ute, Apache and Pueblo all have a strong connection, the water. The Animas River has always played a major role in the cultural lives of the above mentioned tribal people. 'Water is Life,' as the Navajo express. If we have no water, we cannot nourish our physical bodies and too, if there is no water we cannot nourish our spiritual being.

As a Navajo person dwelling in the community of the San Juan Valley I grew up with water as a constant in my life. The two rivers that flow through Farmington, New Mexico are the 'life blood' of the those that live there. It is true that all people need water, so please do not take offense when I say that water is about tribal ways. Water to the Indigenous desert person is about ritual and ceremony. Water is the life of the People and the waters of the Animas have deeply rooted cultural significance in our world.

The devastating effects of tainted toxic river water hurt many people in the communities of Durango, Aztec, Farmington, Upper Fruitland, Kirtland, Shiprock and beyond across the Utah areas of the San Juan River. And people whose business is about utilizing the Animas RIver took a deep loss in revenue as the contaminated waters were closed for about a week. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) was the government entity who 'accidently' released age-old gold mine tailings via toxic heavy metal-laden water into the Animas River. And now, our river is toxic.

But, for the Navajo the waters from the San Juan River, a tributary of the Animas River is their life. The Navajo have been very blessed to be farmers and raise livestock in the San Juan Valley, many continue running generation-old family farms. And, many of these Navajo families perpetuate a rich spiritual tradition of ceremony. So, the toll the contamination of the river reached deeper that tangibly not having access clean water for the crops or the livestock, this dilemma have deeply affected the spiritual ways of being for many Navajo individuals.

You see, water truly is life. When you talk about Navajo beliefs and epistemology water is the beginning, it is everything. Without water the ritual, the ceremony is incomplete, therefore 'unbalanced' and 'hozho' cannot be perpetuated and the People (Navajo) are incomplete.

I have heard many in the community say, "The Navajo need to stop crying about the water..." and I want to scold them for saying such a thing. Though we Navajo have assimlated to American culture in our dress, work, language, we still hold on the most sacred beliefs of our culture. Acknowledgement of water is one of these steadfast beliefs, we often express "To' ei 'iina'" which loosely translates to "Water is Life." And, because of this mantra we as Dine' (Navajo) have balance in our lives.

Blessings, Venaya.