Shifting Culture: Honoring Relationships at Pia Okwai

Pia Okwai, often referred to as the Jordan River, is one of Great Salt Lake's (or Pia'pa's) major tributaries. For generations, the river has been stigmatized and polluted, but in this episode we explore how people are reclaiming and honoring relationships with the river.

We talk with Daniel Hernandez (Wīnak/Urban Diasporic Highland Maya), also known as Arcia Tecun, who is the former director of culture at the Tracy Aviary. Daniel grew up in Rose Park near Pia Okwai, and he has always identified with the river.

Recently, Daniel successfully led the effort to rename the Jordan River Nature Center to the Nature Center at Pia Okwai. Daniel uses Indigenous place names to honor relationships and memory of a place. He also centers the voices and experiences of the urban Indigenous population in his work, including in his film series Stories of Place that focuses on relations with Pia Okwai.

Daniel views the current crisis at the lake as a cultural crisis that requires a shift in cultural consciousness. Listen to learn more about the ways Daniel thinks we can begin this cultural shift.

Stories of Place: An Eco-Justice Film Series

The Nature Center at Pia Okwai: The Story Behind the Name