We’re passionate about helping you make rainbows.
Meet Carmen
Carmen Gonzales is a Navajo environmental specialist, water matriarch, permaculture designer, poet, and musician who has been dedicated to helping communities develop resilience by remembering our sacred relationship with water. Carmen has worked in the Environmental Science field for over 20 years serving Tribes and rural communities and is inspired by the hope of watershed restoration through the lens of indigenous wisdom. Always an “edge walker,” Carmen has been working to find the balance between good science, traditional ecological knowledge, personal healing, and cultural evolution. Carmen is driven by the vision of supporting the work of revitalizing watersheds and communities through strengthening relationships that nourish land and life to serve as a model for change that can ripple out and benefit all beings everywhere.
Meet John
John Mahkewa is a Hopi Tewa artist, mentor, storyteller, water specialist, permaculture designer, and elder. John Mahkewa is the grandson of noted potter, Grace Chapella. Many of his life stories and teachings come from her influence. He has a deep connection to the traditional art of his people including hand coil pottery, painting, sculpture, and musical instruments. He is a respected instructor at the Buckeye Primitive Skills gathering as well as other venues from Hawaii and Martha’s Vineyard, MA. He has a great depth of knowledge about water management, native-based farming practices and Indigiculture from around the world. Specializing in desert dry farming he has shared his knowledge and skills within local native tribes throughout Arizona. And shares Indigiculture spiritual and intuitive life experiences.
Meet Ian
Ian Ford-Terry nurtures a passion for environmental stewardship, following in the footsteps of indigenous practitioners of Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and promoting biocultural diversity. Trained as a horticulturist and permaculture designer, Ian added a special cultural focus to his work with plants in 2024 by obtaining his Master’s degree in Archaeology with a special focus on Paleoethnobotany. He hopes to use the archaeological record to revive ancestral land management and agricultural practices as an adaptive strategy to mitigating effects of climate change and aridification. His most recent work has been with Southern Paiute groups in Southern Nevada, establishing an ethnobotanical garden at the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas which focusses on Southern Paiute language and relationships with the Land.
We can help.
Plant the seeds of inspiration
It all begins with the idea that things can be better. If you’re ready to be inspired by indigenous solutions for tending water, we can help. Reach out to us about a presentation about the work we do.
Build your confidence
Supporting water protectors with learning and hands-on knowledge is our passion. Learn to read your landscape and listen to water so you can begin to restore your own watersheds with confidence.
Expand your potential
We believe that there is are regenerative careers in caring for our Mother Earth. If you’re ready to build your skillset for a resilient water future, consider volunteering with us.