Amoke Kubat. Photos by Kayla Steinberg.
As part of the 2015 Mississippi River Revue, put on by the Mississippi River Fund, artist and community organizer Amoke Kubat gathered some friends onto a Saint Paul riverboat to share stories of African and African American river life.
Check out the sounds and sights of the two-hour trip up the Mississippi and Minnesota. The evening ended with the following pledge:
I _________ will remain conscious that the Mighty Mississippi, other rivers and the lands they touch are Sacred. I promise to do no harm and do what I can to revive where there has been harm to its living essence. I will honor the spirits of those who have lived before me. I will defend all living entities, same and different in my lifetime. I commit to changing my mindset and behaviors that have separated me from nature and spirit. I will educate myself on the mythologies of land loving peoples, healthy ecologies, and creating traditions that nurture my place in relationship to waters, as rivers, oceans, seas, and land, given the guidance of Ancestors and Elders.
I give thanks to Sweet Water. Water nourishes my body. Water is my wealth.
[Audio and photos below.]
Beverly Cottman
Amoke Kubat
Participants threw sweetness (sugar cubes, sunflower seeds, and fruit) into the river.
Jayanthi Kyle
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