The faith community was well represented in the Columbia River “One River, Ethics Matter” Conference held online Dec 9-10. The conference, co-hosted by the Cowlitz Tribe and Washington State University Vancouver, focused on the Columbia River Treaty, using the Pacific Northwest Catholic Bishops Columbia River Pastoral Letter as a guide.
Featured speakers included Cowlitz Tribal elders, including Tanna Engdahl, a Cowlitz spiritual leader, who joined former Earth Ministry board member Rev. John Rosenberg in a discussion of indigenous worldviews and the Judeo-Christian tradition as a framework for restoring the river and recovering endangered salmon runs. Former Lutheran Bishop Martin Wells moderated another panel, and Earth Ministry Executive Director LeeAnne Beres served on the Advisory Committee for the conference.
