“Our elders told us that the reason we live here right by the river is to take care of her," says Lewis George, a Yakima fisherman who lives near the Dalles, OR—one of the many river protectors featured in Braided River's new June 1st book, Big River: Resilience and Renewal in the Columbia Basin.

"We have to stay here by the river to protect her. Someone always has to be here—right by the river.”

There are so many people like Lewis George, who live within the Columbia River basin and work to take care of their corner of the watershed. As we prepare to launch Big River: Resilience and Renewal in the Columbia Basin, it is humbling to see the powerful connections that people have to the river. We hope you'll join us at one of our many events across the watershed featuring storytelling from many of these river protectors. 

We are thrilled about the upcoming release of Big River: Resilience and Renewal in the Columbia Basin, on June 1, 2024! This book contains breathtaking works by wildlife photographer and biologist David Moskowitz and narratives by Eileen Delehanty Pearkes that are sure to take you on a visual ride through the Columbia Watershed. 

“A thought-provoking and visually stunning portrait of an embattled paradise.” —Kirkus Reviews

We have seen historic headlines recently regarding the Arctic project! On Friday, April 19th, the Biden Administration announced that they are establishing new protections for +13 million acres of America's Western Arctic. This news is being applauded by Native communities in the Arctic and is a significant leap forward on climate and conservation and the protection of sacred land. It's also a land protection win in a place that Braided River has been working to protect since our inception.