Last Friday, I had the opportunity to visit Carbondale’s famed 5 Point Adventure Film Festival and had a great time. The films were interesting, informative and all around impressive.
After the showing, I had the opportunity to interview Weston Boyles, one of the filmmakers and the executive director of Ríos to Rivers, a nonprofit organization that strives to “inspire the next generation of river stewards,” teaching Indigenous youth about whitewater rafting and connecting participants with their local rivers.
The film details a mission to empower a group of Native youth to be the first kayakers of the Klamath River once dams are removed. In our conversation after the screening, Boyles explained that by teaching Indigenous youth about rivers and kayaking, they gain a sense of love and appreciation which encourages the protection of those rivers.
When asked what his hope for the future is for this project, Boyles responded, to see the Klamath dams come down, as well as many others around the U.S., because dams have a real environmental impact that isn’t always seen or understood.
To learn more about Ríos to Rivers, visit www.riostorivers.org