Indigenous Celebration and River Twinning with the Misak people

Míle Buíochas a cháirde / Muchos Gracias Amigos / Thank you to everyone today for an incredible river twinning and generous celebration of Misak and Irish indigenous culture and life at this key season of Bealtaine.

Respect & gratitude to all Pobal na Dothra + Pueblo Misak (the peoples of the Dodder & the Cauca Valley) and especially our trusted leaders:

- (Tata) Pedro of Pueblo Misak of the Rio Cauca Valley in Colombia,

- Glenda Cimino, Water Protector of the River Dodder (Donnybrook),

- Cllr Dermot Lacy (DCC),

- Mayor / Cathaoirleach Lettie McCarthy (DLR CC),

- Ashleigh Downey, Biodivesity Ambassador, Greenhouse Culture

- Rachel Dempsey, of Full Circle Change, Wicklow

- LASC, SumOfUs, Dodder Action, An Taisce Climate Ambasador, all our singers, poets, lawyers, environmentalists and the Milltown, Ranelagh & Rathmines gangs, The Climate Alarm Clock, and all the many water dogs of the Dodder (vocal in their support).

- Thanks too to the (youthful) Elders who sent their blessing & support from Dodder Anglers, Down the Dodder, Co Meath, Argentina, Tallaght, Dodder Valley volunteers busy litter picking this morning, and the TDs and Seanadóirí who have promised to help

We talked of natural justice, language, land rights and the freedom of the Andes, of Michael Davitt, Roger Casement and Frontline Defenders. Pedro was dubbed “the Michael Davitt of the Misak" for his campaign against colonial corporates and authorities to win back the Misak land for the Misak people.

We performed sacred Misak water ceremonies (reconnecting as sons of the water & daughters of the land). We learned that the 2 cultures had much in common including nature being the gods & the spirit and including the dominant spiral snail symbol (of both ancient pre-Celtic & Colombian art).

For the Pueblo Misak, this symbol is a reminder of home and guidance to travel out around the world, cross many rivers (blessing them & yourself with the water of life as you cross each), live a healthy life to the full, and eventually bring it all back home to settle with your people.

What can we say only to echo this with an Irish blessing for our twin Misak Cauca river community:

Sláinte an bhreadán,

Croí folamhán,

Gob fliúch,

Agus bás in Éireann (nó le do phobal / pueblo féin).

We sang in 4 languages on the beach, tested that the water quality was good & healthy today, spotted the Stonefly was a healthy species common to both home rivers, thousands of miles apart. Leading by example, Pedro joined up as the latest Dodder Action member, collected and bagged some litter and remarked on the red corporate branded cans and the plastic branded drink glasses.

And the watcher on the edge of the marsh (an Corr Réisc), the Dodder Grey Heron, nodded her approval before snacking on a sea trout as we headed back for tea, heritage bread and wild garlic pesto, biscuits and cheese among the dandelions in the church garden with our generous host Glenda.