Native American Ceremony for the Ohio River

Geri Lashley, Kashara Spaulding, Natasha Thomas, Autumn Genenahgehneh Lee, Alison Smith, Robin Blakeman, Matt Smith, and Janet Keating – 

On June 9, 2017, members of the Marshall University Native American Organization (MU-NASO) and the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC) gathered on the banks of the Ohio River in Huntington, West Virginia, as part of the Global Earth Exchange, a project of Radical Joy For Hard Times. The Ohio River, which is a water source for more than 3 million people, is the most polluted river in the United States. Throughout the many years of our country’s industrialization, the river, with headwaters in Pittsburgh, PA, unfortunately has served as a pollution spillway for countless tons industrial waste as well as residential sewage and solid waste. Local, state and federal officials monitor for only a minute fraction of the chemicals, heavy metals and other pollutants that are dumped there.  When flooding occurs, tons of solid waste and debris from tributaries also pollute this major waterway.

For centuries, residents of the Ohio Valley, including Native Americans, fished these waters. To this day, some people supplement their diets (often by necessity), through fishing in the Ohio River. This is a risky proposition, health-wise. Many portions of the Ohio River are under a state fish advisory, in other words “Do Not Eat”.  Before the Clean Water Act was passed by Congress, the Ohio River, like many rivers and streams throughout the nation, was already in trouble.  Chemicals, such as DDT (its dangers highlighted in Rachel Carson’s seminal environmental book, “Silent Spring”) which ended up in the Ohio River via agricultural run-off, harmed aquatic and other wildlife which inhabited or depended on the river for sustenance, all a part of the web of life.  Birds, such as the Osprey, which only eats fish, disappeared entirely for several decades. When the Osprey consumed fish from the Ohio River, chemicals which compromised their reproductive systems, caused thinning of eggshells. Their eggs, no longer viable, would break when the female would sit on them.

In the late 80s and early 90s, the Osprey made a comeback, after DDT was banned in our nation. This was good news for the Osprey and especially our nation’s waterways.

In addition to current pollution, new threats are looming as states along the Ohio River, including West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio, are under assault from the oil and gas industry. Water quality and aquatic life are now endangered by deep-shale gas hydraulic fracturing (or fracking) adjacent to the Ohio, natural gas storage, new petro-chemical plants, solid fracking waste disposal, liquid fracking waste injection, all with potential to pollute the river. Our local, state and national elected officials’ approval of “fracking” comes at great risk to our water sources, at our own peril. These threats to the Ohio River, and all its wounds, are why we chose to create beauty on the banks of this river, as an act of gratitude for all the river has given us.

Our event, on behalf of the Global Earth Exchange had two very distinct parts, though 9 participants took part in both actions. Prior to sunset we lay many different flowers in the shape of a spiral on the ground beside the river. We know that without life-giving water, we would not enjoy the beauty of flowers. We chose the spiral to represent our growth and evolution as humans—a symbol of an evolutionary journey that begins with each of us. Children were invited to help us place the flowers since they will be impacted by our future efforts on behalf of the Ohio River.

Once our spiral was completed (a spiral is never really finished!), we sat in a circle around it. Each of us told a story of connection to the river, either from childhood, or the present. We talked about why we loved the river and our current concerns. We spoke of how the Ohio River played an important role in our family—whether it was gaining spiritual or actual sustenance from the river. After everyone had shared, we moved closer to the river for the second event—a Native American Water Ceremony.

Before the Water Ceremony began, elders told each of us what was expected during the ceremony. No negative words or thoughts were to be expressed. Once the ceremony for the Ohio River began, no one was to leave the circle. We would follow the lead of the elders.

To begin, we were purified as Vikki Lee, an elder, smudged each of us with sage. Each of us was given a small amount of ceremonial tobacco in our left hand, to hold throughout the ceremony until we were directed to offer it to the river. Native American drums or rattles were used to accompany each of the 4 water songs that were offered up to the river; our voices, appropriately, were joined by the murmurs, honks and quacks of Canada Geese and Mallards.

Other people enjoying the river came closer, watching and listening with curiosity. The sky turned beautiful hues of pink, orchid and blue as sun-down approached. When the singing ended, one-by-one, each of us lifted our hand toward the 4 directions and then walked toward the river to offer a prayer where we sprinkled the sacred tobacco. To conclude this ceremony, we sang another Native American water song, and then a jar of pure water from a mountain stream was added to the Ohio River, as a hope for its future status.

We lingered and pledged to return, growing our numbers for a monthly Water Ceremony for the Ohio River. Before we left, we hugged and thanked each other feeling grateful for one another and the river.  You can learn more about MU NASO