The River’s Lament ritual walk was first sponsored by the EcoFaith Recovery Core Team under the leadership of Ms. Trista Jolly, Rev. Solveig Nilsen-Goodin and Dr. Ruth Nickodemus in the spring of 2011. Although originally created as one of EcoFaith Recovery “Table Talks”,the power of the ritual was quickly apparent to those who participated. Therefore, in partnership with the Wilderness Way Community, EcoFaith Recovery Core Team members Solveig, Trista and Ruth have continued to offer this ritual to other groups of interested people. Most recently, Dr. Dan Brunner of George Fox seminary, brought a class of seminarians studying eco-justice to participate in the walk.
University of Portland (meet at the Pilot House)
At seven stations along the perimeter of the University of Portland campus, leaders will tell the story of the Willamette River, as if the river were telling the story herself.
“I have many parents, over 350 that have names, and countless others that are unnamed. All these waters make me who I am. These are some you may know: the Columbia slough, Johnson Creek, Tryon Creek, the Clackamas River.”
The story of the Willamette River is a rich and beautiful story. It is also a painful story. A story of abuse. A story of devastation. A story of crucifixion.
Please join us for our next lament. We will be taking an easy walk approximately 1 mile around the edge of campus, so dress for the weather and wear walking/hiking shoes. We gather at the front doors of the PILOT HOUSE and University of Portland for introductions and an introduction to the ritual.
We will also leave a map of our walking route at the information desk of the Pilot House.
Join us in experiencing the “Stations of the River.” Additional details to help you prepare for and participate in this event can be found here.
This video made by EcoFaith Intern Elizabeth Herzfeldt-Kamprath tells the story of the River’s Lament.
https://test.youtube.com/watch?v=OED6YoqRf3E
At seven stations along the perimeter of the University of Portland campus, Solveig and Trista tell the story of the Willamette River, as if the river were telling the story herself.
“I have many parents, over 350 that have names, and countless others that are unnamed. All these waters make me who I am. These are some you may know: the Columbia slough, Johnson Creek, Tryon Creek, the Clackamas River.”
The story of the Willamette River is a rich and beautiful story. It is also a painful story. A story of abuse. A story of devastation.
“By the late 1920s (in a mere 75 years from the new settlements), I was called an open sewer. The City Club of Portland called me filthy and ugly. In 2000, I was designated a SuperFund site in this area around you, this area called Portland Harbor.
The walk offers no easy answers, no cheap grace. But if we are to awake to the crisis at hand, if we are to engage in the real debate raging over how to clean up the river and who will pay for it, and if we are to discover the spiritual resources to face the challenges existing right here in Portland, Oregon, the story of the Willamette River is a story we must hear.
If you would like to receive an email when the Lament will be offered again, you can add your name to the EcoFaith Recovery mailing list.
Click here to see photos of the 2011 River’s Lament Event!
Photos from the June 29th, 2012 River’s Lament Event
