Sacred Springs Powwow

The annual Sacred Springs Powwow is held by Indigenous Cultures Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the research and preservation of the culture, arts, traditions, ceremonies, and languages of the population collectively known as Coahuiltecans.

Our presence at the annual Sacred Springs Pow Wow as part of the Texas Water Stories research enabled us to gather situated water narratives from Indigenous youth, children, and elders from multiple lands across Texas. Elders shared perspectives on changes to waters over time, such as the marked increase in catastrophic flooding in Central Texas; on water as sacred being, and the importance of care-taking of water for future generations. Multiple creation stories and oral traditions of waters and lands were shared – all brought together by an emphasis on the importance of living and teaching reciprocity.