A gathering for the South Platte River
River Sisters Colorado Congreso Hermanas del Río
A coalition of Native / Chicano / Mexicano leaders · Denver, Colorado
The South Platte is not a resource. She is a relative.
River Sisters Colorado Congreso works to restore balance, health, and respect for the South Platte River as a living relative — through cultural preservation, environmental justice, policy advocacy, and ceremonial practice.
When
Nov 14, 2026
Saturday
8 am – 3 pm
Free
Register on Eventbrite
The South Platte is not a resource. She is a relative.
Join River Sisters Colorado at the Latino Cultural Arts Center’s new home for a day of learning, sharing, laughter, and cultural creativity, and hear about our Personhood and Turquoise Necklace initiatives.
Everyone is welcome. We especially call in our Chicano, Native, and Mexicano Gente to share family stories of our Relative, the South Platte River, through art.
Presented by
Sponsored by
Initiative 01 — River Personhood Framework
Recognition of the South Platte River as a living being with inherent rights
Guided by Native worldviews, the Congreso is advancing recognition of the River's rights — to flow, to be clean, and to regenerate her ecosystems — with a community-led guardianship model shared between Native representatives, local residents, and city partners. Denver is not first; it would join a growing lineage of river personhood across the world, and could become the model for how a city does it in partnership with its communities.
2017
Whanganui River
Aotearoa / New Zealand — legal personhood through Te Awa Tupua.
2019
Klamath River
Yurok Tribe — first river granted personhood by a North American Native government.
2021
Magpie River
Magpie River — Innu Council & Minganie, Québec — nine recognized rights.
2025
Colorado River
Colorado River Indian Tribes — personhood under Tribal law along 100 river miles.
NEXT
South Platte River
Denver, Colorado — a community-led guardianship model, in partnership with City Council.
The roots of the nameThe River Sisters name carries a lineage of its own. From 2015 to 2020, the binational River Sisters partnership — led by Americas for Conservation + the Arts — joined Denver and San Luis Río Colorado, Mexico as sister cities of one Colorado River, through ecological festivals, public art, and greenway and wetland restoration. That kinship — rivers and the communities along them, across borders, as relatives — is the ground this Congreso stands on. Read the River Sisters case study →
Initiative 02 — Turquoise Necklace Cultural Plan
Twenty-three parks. One living corridor of renewal, healing, and connection.
The Turquoise Necklace envisions a connected corridor of 23 parks and open spaces along the South Platte — each a “bead” carrying cultural and historical storytelling, public art, and community-centered design, anchored by its pendant at Sun Valley Riverfront Park. Explore the beads below.
South is up: the map follows her current. The South Platte runs north, so she flows from the top of the page to the bottom.
The framework
Eight Guiding Principles
The historic and cultural contributions of Native / Chicano / Mexicano peoples are the foundational roots of the Congreso's mission, threaded through every principle.
Identity
Representing and promoting the cultural diversity that gives the river's communities their unique histories.
Respect
Stewarding the river, its ecosystem, culture, and history with reverence for their intrinsic value.
Rescue
Building the Necklace with strategies that recover and revitalize the river and its surroundings.
Social Cohesion
Empowering marginalized communities with equitable access to the corridor's opportunities.
Responsibility
Designing the Necklace as the shared duty of every resident of the South Platte basin.
Economic Development
Promoting sustainable prosperity that benefits river communities while preserving cultural and environmental integrity.
Resiliency
Strengthening the river and its communities against environmental, social, and economic challenges.
Inclusion
Embracing the interconnection of culture, spirit, water, and land in one harmonious community.
The people behind the work
The Congreso & its Council
River Sisters Congreso is the broader community body — Native / Chicano / Mexicano leaders, elders, and organizers who speak for the River. Its Council serves as the Congreso’s leadership.
Council
The leadership body of the Congreso.
Colorado Congreso Members
The broader community body of the Colorado Congreso.
Congreso Member
Placeholder bios and portraits shown — real photos and biographies to be provided by each member.
Co-creation, not consultation
Community partnerships & equity
The Congreso prioritizes equitable engagement with historically marginalized communities along the South Platte corridor — a model of co-creation rooted in traditional ecological knowledge, cultural education, and intergenerational leadership.
Partner organizations
Be there for her
Upcoming gatherings & Council moments
Policy changes when the room is full. Public meetings are open to everyone — showing up, listening, and speaking during public comment is the most direct way to stand with the River.
Turquoise Necklace — Evening Moon River Walk
Join River Sisters Congreso on a walk connecting your Denver Parks along the South Platte River. River Sisters Congreso is working towards protections for the South Platte River and we want your input with how you connect to the water and surrounding areas. Come learn about the Turquoise Necklace concept and how designated parks are part of this sacred collection. Questions: giselle@corising.org
River Cleanup with Patagonia
A community cleanup in partnership with Patagonia, who lead monthly cleanups along the river. Bring gloves and boots or waders if you have them — buckets, trash pickers, bags, and extra gloves are provided. Parking at Fishback Park is a short walk from the meeting spot. Sign up for updates
Turquoise Necklace — Evening Moon River Walk
Turquoise Necklace — Evening Moon River Walk
River Sisters Colorado Congreso
A day of learning, sharing, laughter, and cultural creativity — everyone is welcome. RSVP free on Eventbrite
Turquoise Necklace — Evening Moon River Walk
No upcoming gatherings are scheduled right now. Follow us on Facebook for what’s next.
Where a time and meeting point are not yet listed, the date is still on hold and details will be confirmed closer to the gathering. Follow us on Facebook for the latest.
Call to action
Denver can become the national model for a city that honors its river.
The Congreso calls on Denver City Council to recognize the South Platte as a living relative, integrate cultural guardianship into river planning, and embed environmental equity into municipal policy — endorsing the River Personhood Framework and the Turquoise Necklace as city-recognized initiatives.