Ep #87 The Power of Joy with Keeya Wiki: Indigenous Youth on the Klamath River
Description
Can laughter on the river be a way of reconnecting to self, to ancestors, to the water itself?
In this powerful episode of The Discomfort Zone, Anna sits down with Keeya Wiki, a 17-year-old Indigenous kayaker who belongs to the Yurok peoples of the Klamath river and Te Aupouri and Ngati Porou tribes of Aotearoa (New Zealand). Keeya shares the story of completing the first descent of the newly undammed Klamath River, a historic journey led by Indigenous youth reclaiming connection to ancestral waters.
Through laughter, vulnerability, and reflection, Keeya and Anna explore:
🌊 What it felt like to paddle the Klamath after generations of advocacy for dam removal
💫 How to navigate discomfort, fear, and self-doubt with grounding and self-trust
🤝 The power of community, mentorship, and representation in outdoor spaces
😮How she navigated an intense underwater experience on the river
🔥Why the joy she experienced on the river has the power to heal generations
Keeya's young wisdom invites us to listen deeply, and learn from Indigenous peoples and their resilience as we move and paddle forward through the world.
🎧 Listen now to hear how joy, courage, and river restoration flow together on the Klamath.
United States
