“What is health? Are you living? Are you able to have breath in your lungs? Are you able to touch the water? Are you able to feel the grass? Are you able to be sustainable?” – Jessica Swann
“Our people lived as stewards of the land and protectors of the water for hundreds of years, and they did that through good health and a good relationship and respect to the land and respect for the water... throughout time we've lost the importance of our connection to the earth, to our waterways. The waterways are life.” — Jessica Swann
Hey y'all, welcome back.
What began as a citizen science project amidst a catastrophic sewage spill in the Potomac river has become a multi-episode arc investigating waterways, river personhood, and the economies of “healthy” water. This is just the first of many conversations and intellectual deep-dives into water as relative, water as teacher, water as life-giving resource.
In this conversation, I’m joined by Jessica Swann, a member of the Piscataway Conoy Tribe, Sacred Pipe Holder of the Beaver Clan, the daughter of Chief Jesse James Swann Jr. and a direct descendant of Chief (Tayac) Wannas who first met colonists on the shores of Maryland nearly 400 years ago.
Just like a ride down the river, our dialogue wanders, tumbles, floats, and eddies. We begin our journey at the banks of the Potowomack (Potomac) River, but the current rapidly carries us downstream through the critical intersections of food sovereignty, Indigenous data sovereignty, and the power of oral histories.
Main Topics Include:
-Water as a relative
-The importance of oral histories
-Food sovereignty
-Data sovereignty within health research
-Environmental considerations of AI
-What is ‘health” for the Piscataway people?
As you’ll hear, water connects us all. It flows between ideas, binds communities together, and forms the active matrix within our very cells. It bridges our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual beings.
It’s time to move past the myopic illusion of individual “health” consumerism. You cannot buy your way out of a collective environmental crisis with a fancier water filter. True health is a shared ecosystem, and reclaiming that connection means shifting away from corporate self-preservation toward a fierce, active stance for the collective waterway.
Join us for a float as we learn how to listen to the water again.
If this conversation resonates with you, please consider subscribing to the ROOT SHOCK Substack, sharing this episode with a friend, and directly supporting Jessica’s vital community preservation work by donating to Through Piscataway Eyes.
People, Resources, and Cited Works
Featured Organizations & Initiatives
Through Piscataway Eyes™ A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting and protecting the welfare, culture, and history of the members of the Piscataway Conoy Tribe™.
Piscataway Land Trust: A vital division of this nonprofit focused on securing funds to purchase, reclaim, and restore ancestral tribal lands.
Support Their Work: You can make a direct contribution via the Through Piscataway Eyes Donation Page.
Potomac Conservancy An organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the Potomac River basin's water quality, land, and wildlife. Learn more at the Potomac Conservancy Official Website.
Literature & Media
Theory of Water – Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
Explore Theory of Water: Nishnaabe Maps to the Times Ahead. Available for purchase on Bookshop.org.
A Map to the Door of No Return – Dionne Brand
A poignant exploration of diaspora, memory, and belonging. Available at Rep. Club.
All My Relations Podcast Listen to the deep dive on the Theory of Water Episode.
White Supremacy Culture Characteristics – Tema Okun (Dedicated to Kenneth Jones)
Review the foundational work on systemic characteristics at the White Supremacy Culture Hub or read the Full PDF Document.
Indigenous Health & Environment Articles – Dr. Nicole Redvers
Read her work combining planetary health and Indigenous medical traditions at the Nicole Redvers Article Archive.
Race and Environment on the Anacostia Examine the intersection of systemic racism and urban ecology through this interactive ArcGIS StoryMap on the Anacostia River.
Academic & Scientific Citations
Ball, P. (2017). Water is an active matrix of life for cell and molecular biology. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 114(51), 13327-13335. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1703781114
Greenberg, N. (2023, October). A dive into dolphin data: The history of bottlenose dolphins in the Potomac River. Smithsonian Ocean. https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/marine-mammals/dive-dolphin-data-history-bottlenose-dolphins-potomac-river
Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants. Milkweed Editions.
Shimamoto, H., & Komiya, S. (2000). The turnover of body water as an indicator of health. Journal of Physiological Anthropology and Applied Human Science, 19(5), 207–212. https://doi.org/10.2114/jpa.19.207
Deep Dive: News, History, and Environmental Justice
🚨 Current News Briefing: The Potomac Sewage Crisis
Following a severe infrastructure breakdown on January 19, 2026, a major pipe collapse triggered one of the largest recorded sewage spills in United States history. An estimated 200 to 300 million gallons of raw sewage flooded into the Potomac River, causing local E. coli concentrations to skyrocket to over 10,000 times safe recreational standards.
While seasonal flow reduced surface levels in some sectors by early March, ongoing structural leaks continue to feed hazardous concentrations of E. coli, staph bacteria, and MRSA into the waterway. Local community members and visitors are urged to practice extreme caution and avoid direct water contact.
Timeline of the River: Ancestral Hub, Sacrifice Zone, and Site of Freedom
14,000 Years Ago – Pre-Colonial Foundations Human settlements emerge along the river basin. The oldest known permanent settlement, the village of Potowomack, gives the river its modern name—though various regional tribes held their own distinct names for its different winding sections. The region is anchored by three prominent Indigenous chiefdoms: the Piscataway, the Patawomeke, and the Nanticoke.
1607 – The Early Colonial Era The first European colonizers arrive. Despite receiving life-saving food provisions from the Powhatan people during their initial struggle for survival, the settlers systematically fail to honor peace agreements, initiating centuries of displacement.
Mid-1800s – Environmental Devastation via Plantation Economies As colonizers clear vast swaths of forest to establish intensive tobacco plantations, the severe lack of root systems causes massive soil erosion. The resulting agricultural runoff completely chokes the bottom of the Anacostia River, rendering it entirely impassable to boats by the mid-19th century.
1830s–1860s – The Underground Railroad and Ecologies of Freedom The Potomac River emerges as a critical symbol and literal highway of liberation. Its dense shoreline foliage provides vital camouflage for freedom seekers, its steep banks serve as strategic lookouts, and its shallow rapids offer rare crossing points. The waterway serves as a physical conduit out of the slaveholding states of Virginia and Maryland into free Pennsylvania. Furthermore, the surrounding wetlands provide an abundance of medicinal plants utilized for healing by Indigenous and Black communities alike.
Late 1800s – Wildlife Baselines The first formal scientific and historical sightings of bottlenose dolphins are recorded within the Potomac River, proving the long-term presence of marine mammals deep within the estuary.
Mid-1900s – "White Flight" and the Creation of a Sacrifice Zone The river basin experiences heavy industrial pollution and untreated sewage dumping. Concurrently, demographic shifts and "white flight" leave the surrounding riverbanks populated predominantly by Black neighborhoods. This environmental racism alters the city’s relationship with the river: its proximity to marginalized communities shifts public policy from simple neglect to treating the area as an "active sacrifice zone" for environmentally hazardous municipal projects and systemic dumping.
The Dual Reality of the River Despite severe pollution, the river remains a complicated sanctuary of resilience and joy for Black residents enduring segregation. Because public swimming pools are racially segregated, the river offers a free, unpoliced space to swim, connect with nature, and fish for food away from the immediate pressures of racist urban spaces—even as mounting toxicity eventually renders the fish unsafe to consume.
1965 – Federal Recognition of Crisis President Lyndon B. Johnson publicly declares the state of the Potomac River a "national disgrace," fueling the momentum for federal environmental intervention.
1970 – The Dead Zone The connected Chesapeake Bay is officially labeled one of the United States' very first marine "dead zones" due to severe oxygen depletion caused by chemical and nutrient pollution.
1972 – The Clean Water Act The passage of the historic Clean Water Act introduces strict federal standards for industrial discharge and municipal sewage, kicking off decades of gradual water quality improvements.
2015–Present – The Return of the Dolphins A highly visible and sustained increase in bottlenose dolphin sightings is documented throughout the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. While researchers are still evaluating whether this trend reflects a true population boom or simply enhanced ecological monitoring, it serves as a powerful reminder of the river's enduring capacity for renewal.
Jessica Swann
Community Outreach Coordinator, Through Piscataway Eyes (TPE) Inc.
Jessica Swann is a registered citizen of the Piscataway Conoy Tribe and a member of the Beaver Clan, where she is designated Sacred Pipe Holder. She is the daughter of Chief Jesse James Swann Jr. and a direct descendant of Chief (Tayac) Wannas who first met colonists on the shores of Maryland.
Driven by a dedication to her people, Jessica acts as the Community Outreach Coordinator for Through Piscataway Eyes (TPE) Inc., a tribally designated non-profit centered on community investments, direct mutual aid, and heritage preservation. Furthermore, she is a council candidate for the tribe’s restored government, where she champions economic development, cultural renewal, and tribal sovereignty.
Rooted in a childhood of hunting, fishing, and foraging with her family, Jessica leverages her passion for gastronomy to blend Indigenous traditions with modern culinary practices, aiming to channel this expertise into economic growth, education, and cultural visibility for the Piscataway Conoy Tribe.
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