Tune in for this short story celebrating the resilience of wild river beings and the power of Indigenous frontline defence.

Danielle Frank comes from the Hupa and Yurok Tribes, commonly known as Northern California. She attended various UN Conventions over the years, but she came to the Biodiversity COP16 in Cali, Colombia, with a particular story to share: the restoration process of the Klamath river through the largest dam removal in world history.

After generations of advocacy by local Indigenous Nations, including her family members, the river now runs free and the salmon are returning home for the first time in over a century. Tune in for this short story celebrating the resilience of Indigenous frontline defence.

I also ask Danielle about what the finds most challenging attending COP (Conference of the Parties) as an Indigenous youth, and her thoughts on solidarity and allyship.

"The solution is going back to the sacred, going back to the lands that provide for everybody, to communities that provide for all, not this one percent that controls our entire planet. [...] The goal is community and investment in each other."

Interview, sound design and production: Louise Romain.

About Ríos to Rivers: https://www.riostorivers.org/