Water Braiding conference held

Black Mesa Trust hosts Water Braiding conferenceBridging contemporary western science and indigenous wisdom was the topic of a conference that was sponsored by Black Mesa Trust, The Center for Sustainable Environments at Northern Arizona University, Grand Canyon Trust and the Museum of Northern Arizona this past week at the Woodlands Radisson Hotel and Conference Center.

A number of internationally acclaimed scientists, teachers and artists including water science pioneer Dr. Masaru Emoto, painter/environmental space artist Lowry Burgess of Carnegie Mellon University and artist Michael Kabotie of the Hopi Tribe gathered with Black Mesa Trust Board members, over 200 adult participants and 20 young Hopi and Navajo student interns during a four day conference that began at the Hopi Reservation and ended at Lake Mary.And:The idea of "braiding" is to allow dialogue and explorations on the two systems of knowing and their unique approaches to nature, actions and teachings of water.

Like a black and white Hopi weaving, its own character and endurance, the weaver braids two strands into one, which yields a stronger, more beautiful and responsive solution to today's challenges.

With Black Mesa Trust's mission of safeguarding, preserving and honoring the land and waters of the Black Mesa region, the "braiding" conference taught each of its attendees a new way of seeing and doing, of describing, understanding and most importantly of acting with global responsibility to protect Mother Earth.Comment:  If the attendees learned "a new way of seeing and doing"--the value of different perspectives--I'd say the conference was useful. Even if it used Masaru Emoto's pseudo-science to get people to think. But if the attendees learned to take Emoto seriously, then I'd say the conference was counterproductive. We need less pseudo-science in the world, not more.

Below:  "Over 18 international panelists were featured at the recent Black Mesa Trust sponsored water braiding conference held last week in Flagstaff. The four-day conference started at the Hopi Reservation and ended at Lake Mary." (Photo by Rosanda Suetopka Thayer/NHO)