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Black Mesa is a high desert, arid, with few streams or rivers aboveground. Water tends to come from above or below: sometimes, as a gentle rain. Other times, a rushing monsoon. Navajo and Hopi people have called it home for thousands of years. Its water reservoirs— a complex system of underground pools called “aquifers”— sustain people, livestock, and agriculture on the plateau. More recently, that scarce resource fed the needs of Peabody Coal, an extractive industry that drained the Mesa dry over the last half century. 

Nicole Horseherder helped establish the non-profit Sacred Water Speaks with a clear goal: get Peabody Energy off the aquifer and bring water back to her community. Amber McCrary reads “Monsoon Musings,” a poem she wrote about the moments when heavy rains arrive in her desert homeland. 

For more:

• Support Nicole’s work with Sacred Water Speaks
• Discover more of Amber McCrary’s poetry 

As She Rises is a Wonder Media Network production. Follow Wonder Media Network on Instagram and Twitter. 

This season, we’re excited to collaborate with NRDC to drive action to combat the climate crisis and promote solutions to build a just and equitable future for all. 

Take Action:

• NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. Follow them on Twitter (@NRDC) and Instagram (@NRDC_org) to stay up to date on NRDC’s efforts and how you can get involved. 
• Support NRDC’s fight to stop the illegal Willow oil drilling project and help end our dependence on fossil fuels at https://on.nrdc.org/3nBiNWK

Learn more about NRDC’s work to protect the Colorado River Basin here.