A meeting of Sacred Waters

June 22-25, 2026 | Pueblo of Isleta, New Mexico

Remembering the Past into the Present

We honor the land and waters of the wider Rio Grande Basin and all Indigenous Nations and Peoples who maintain historic ties to the river. We acknowledge the original peoples of this land - the Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache – who maintain deep connections to the land and waters and persistas caretakers throughout the generations.

A Meeting of Sacred Waters was convened by the Restoring Balance Collaborative whose mission is toadvance Indigenous-led systems change for the wellbeing of humanity and the environment.

Our Journey to Sacred Waters 2026

Sacred Waters 2026 was our fourth gathering, with the first held virtually in 2021, the second in Phoenix, Arizona (2021), and the third in the Pueblo of Isleta (2024). Aligning with our Three Ripples of Change, planning for Sacred Waters always begins with relationships. Being in relationship with the local community is the foundation for Sacred Waters’ success.

The decision to bring Sacred Waters to the Pueblo of Isleta in 2026 was made by the Collaborative’s international Advisory Council at its strategic planning meeting in March 2025. The Council reflected on the origins of Sacred Waters and how we uphold its uniqueness and impact. They recognized Sacred Waters as a tangible outcome that emerged organically from the 2020 Indigenous Leader water exchange on the health of the Colorado and Whanganui Rivers. Sacred Waters could not be the unifying force that brings Indigenous Peoples from across the Pacific to stand together in our collective effort to protect our ancestral waters if it wasn’t for the exchange and the relationships that are built.

With support from the Environmental Defense Fund, the Thornburg Foundation and Anchorum Health Foundation, we returned to the Pueblo of Isleta and met with the various levels of leadership, including Tribal Council, the Cultural Committee, and department heads from the Education and the Cultural and Historical Preservation (CHP) Departments to speak to our intent. With support from the Pueblo of Isleta, we engaged other Pueblos and Tribes state-wide, including other water policy leaders at the local and state levels, over the next year to be a part of this catalyzing conversation.