A meeting of Sacred Waters

Igniting Global Connections 

Sacred Waters is an biennial meeting where we come together to amplify Indigenous solutions and to realign the values that underpin colonial systems, structures and policies, and shift power dynamics towards sustainability. 

Coming together as a global community deepens our understanding of the issues, helps us to think differently and sparks innovation. That’s why the Collaborative provides a platform to amplify Indigenous voices and solutions. We utilize multi-media to create awareness and increase representation of Indigenous perspectives on climate and wellbeing.  By convening global gatherings highlighting Indigenous agency and impactful practices, we aim to reinforce Indigenous worldviews and values focused on intergenerational impact.

Water is at the Center of the Climate Crisis.

Water is at the center of the climate crisis, according to the United Nations. Many important headwaters, wetlands, rivers, and other water sources are found on the traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples, who steward about one-quarter of the world’s lands. In the United States alone, flawed water policies used to divide and control waterways have resulted in more than one million acres of tribal land being flooded by dams. With climate change leading to unpredictable rainfall, floods, and drought, it is now more urgent than ever to support Indigenous stewardship locally to deliver global impact and protect people's ability to live healthy lives, farm, maintain cultural practices, and earn livelihoods.

Coming Together as a Global Community

A Meeting of Sacred Waters is a gathering that provides a space for sharing Indigenous worldviews, values and perspectives to reclaim the health of the world’s water sources. It was borne from exchange between Indigenous leaders from the Colorado River Basin in Arizona and the Whanganui River in New Zealand. They came together on behalf of the health and healing of their ancestral waters to share their experiences and dialogue with others about the value and importance of Indigenous knowledge in improving the health of all rivers. Hence the name Te Huinga Wai Tapu (in Māori) - A Meeting of Sacred Waters.