Welcome to the Downstream Podcast! In Episode 1, your hosts Jesse Demonbreun-Chapman and Courtney Altice of Coosa River Basin Initiative, along with Dr. Jim Watkins of Berry College, map out the terrain we will explore over the next 8 episodes. They discuss the history of forced removal, why they felt it was important to incorporate the perspectives of indigenous people from Northwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama into the conservation work CRBI does, and engage with the legacy of forced removal and its implications for indigenous communities and the conservation of the upper Coosa River basin.

Let’s push this boat off the shore and get paddlin’!  

This project was made possible with funding from the Georgia Humanities Council and Patagonia.

Coosa River Basin Initiative is a 501c3 non-profit organization in Rome, GA with a mission to protect, preserve, and restore the upper Coosa River basin. To learn more about our work or become a supporter, visit our website at coosa.org or follow us on Facebook @coosariverbasinintiative or Instagram @coosariverbasin

If you have thoughts or questions about the show, send us a message to [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you. 

This podcast is produced by Brand Red Studios. All episodes were recorded at Darkroot Studios in Rome, GA.  Music, Engineering, and Editing by Austen Earp

Special Thanks to:

Brian Campbell

Sandy Meeks 

Ryan Simmons 

For local historical resources in the upper Coosa River basin: 

Chieftains Museum in Rome

New Echota State Historic Site in Calhoun 

Etowah Indian Mounds State Historic Site in Cartersville