Takeaways

Nature Doesn't Care

To be wild is to be untamed. To be remote, desolate, and uninhabited.

Human attempts to control what wants to be wild often results in dire consequences in the name of progress and/or sustainability. For 150, 000 years Homo-sapiens have occupied and harvested nature in an attempt to control nature as a resource and as a commodity. Over population, mis-management of resources, pollution, and poorly conceptualized infrastructure serve to further exacerbate this human conflict with nature. It is a war that cannot be won.
The complex ecologies of which humans are part is not cognizant. It is simply wild. Nature doesn’t care. It does not want, need, or feel. It just is.

Water is Power

Water has innate power, and moving water can be a force of nature. The serene view, the slow meandering river, can become a torrent of dangerous flow, capable of changing the landscape and crushing infrastructure. To indigenous peoples’, water has been more than the need to thrive, it is considered alive and holds a spirit. Yet the power of the river can be disrupted by sources of turbulence, both natural and intentional. Attempts to stabilize and distribute the resources of the Gila River, inspires bridges, canals, dams, diversions, and reservoirs. To harness the river is to harness its power.

Up-River / Down-River Thinking

The concept of Up-River/Down-River Thinking highlights the profound influence of context and perspective on our understanding of shared environments. Each observer, whether they are upstream or downstream, perceives the river through a unique lens that is colored by their social, economic, and political realities that determine the rivers value.

> The upstream realities, agricultural runoff or industrial pollution, deliver consequences that ripple downstream, affecting communities and ecosystems far removed from the source of the problem. This interconnectedness places a moral imperative on all stakeholders to acknowledge their role in the river's ability to adapt. Ignoring this relational aspect can lead to entitlement, commodification, and overuse, ultimately threatening the river's very existence.

Privilege vs. Entitlement

The entanglement of privilege and entitlement is deeply embedded in complex ecological systems. Privilege entails having special rights, advantages, or immunities, while entitlement reflects the belief in inherently deserving such privileges or preferential treatment. When a critical resource like water is limited, there are inevitable winners and losers. Determining access and usage is inherently contentious, driven by historical, economic, and political justifications. At best, these conflicts present significant challenges; at worst, they create legal and managerial crises. The question of "who gets what and why" fuels ongoing disputes, shaping not only the identity of a river but also its destiny