s01e03 Weapons of Mass Destruction p.I: Dams and Colonization

Challenging Colonialism

In part one of a four part episode, we examine the negative environmental and cultural impact of hydroelectric dams, and the Indigenous-led movement to remove them. This episode explores the Indigenous-led movement to restore salmon in California rivers through dam removal. These dams, deemed Weapons of Mass Destruction by Winnemem Wintu Chief Caleen Sisk, have devastated salmon populations--and the communities whose histories have been in relationship with salmon since time immemorial.

Interviewees for s01e03 p.I:

Ron Reed (Karuk)

Brittani Orona (Hoopa Valley Tribe)

Dr. Beth Rose Middleton Manning

Dr. Kari Norgaard

Craig Tucker

Credits:

Audio engineering and editing by Daniel Stonebloom

All interviews conducted and recorded by Martin Rizzo-Martinez

Music written, performed, and recorded by G. Gonzales

Ambient sounds recorded by Ariel Stonebloom

Follow us on Twitter: @ChalColonialPod

For further reading and to get involved, see the following:

Bring the Salmon Home

http://www.bringthesalmonhome.org

Save California Salmon

https://www.californiasalmon.org/

Reconnect Klamath

https://reconnectklamath.org/

Klamath River Renewal Corporation

https://klamathrenewal.org/

Run4Salmon - A prayerful journey led by Chief Caleen Sisk of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe to restore our salmon runs, protect our waters, and our indigenous lifeways.

http://run4salmon.org/

West Coast Water Justice - Podcast focused on Indigenous centered water justice movement

https://www.westcoastwaterjustice.org/

“Salmon and Acorns Feed our People: Colonialism, Nature, and Social Action,” by Dr. Kari Norgaard

https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/salmon-and-acorns-feed-our-people/9780813584195

“Upstream: Trust Lands and Power on the Feather River,” by Dr. Beth Rose Middleton Manning

https://uapress.arizona.edu/book/upstream

Challenging Colonialism in California is produced by Martin Rizzo-Martinez, Historian, & Daniel Stonebloom, a Public School Administrator. It is not our intention to further colonize the narrative, or to misrepresent stories that are not our own. It is our intention to create an educational resource where everyone can hear the perspectives of Indigenous peoples in their own words. Please leave your feedback, suggestions, reviews, ideas for future episodes, and more at the episode page. And please share and promote the podcast in your networks.

This podcast produced with support from the California State Parks Foundation: https://www.calparks.org/

Part II will be released on February 7th.