We sat in the Patwin memorial area, and reflected about what Putah Creek and the village site must have been like 200 years ago when the Patwin lived there. The creek would have been their water source. They would have gotten their drinking water there, bathed in the creek, washed clothes, and perhaps cooled off there. But other inhabitants would have made use of the creek, too. Birds would have nested in the vegetation and trees, turtles and fish would have hidden in the tule, and all would have come there to drink and bathe. The ecosystem provided all the people needed. They were not an agricultural society, but there would have been plentiful fish, game for food and clothing, acorns for flour, tule and cattails for baskets, edible plants, and herbs for medicines. Now the majority of this ecosystem is gone – replaced by buildings, roads, and other varieties of plants. There are relatively few creatures and bird species there now. We talked about what we as other earth inhabitants in this place have lost in this process, although it cannot compare with the loss suffered by the Patwin people, descendants of whom are still here.

We also reflected upon and remembered creeks or rivers that we experienced as children. One person recalled playing and walking on stones in a creek that led onto the grounds of a big house, where it created a pond that was full of goldfish. Another recalled riding in a family member’s boat on the Missouri River, and landing on a mid-river island for picnics. One recalled a river where she watched coal barges going downriver and listened to the sound of the water flowing, and lapping against the bank. What these experiences had in common was that we all remember how much we loved those places. The solitude, the quiet, the gentle way of life. A way of life the Patwin had on Putah Creek for generations. Something we have lost.