The Water Remembers

My Indigenous Family's Fight to Save a River and a Way of Life

By: Amy Bowers Cordalis

Narrated by: Amy Bowers Cordalis, Geneva Mattz, Lavina Bowers

The Yurok Tribe and an Indigenous family share a moving multigenerational story of their fight to undam the Klamath river—the largest river restoration project in history—and save the planet. Includes exclusive audio content!

The Water Remembers is the story of Indigenous resistance and an American family’s fight to preserve its legacy. For more than half a century, between 1905 and 1962, the Federal government constructed one of the largest reclamation projects in the country at the headwaters of the Klamath River, comprised of four dams. They did not include salmon ladders and this denied fish access to hundreds of miles of historical habitat. This oversight and other decisions not to release water for the endangered species of fish and Tribal water rights led to increased water temperatures and toxic algae pollution, which killed hundreds of thousands of salmon. This ecocide destroyed the fishing, hunting, and gathering lifestyle of the Yurok Tribe—the largest in Northern California—preventing them from making a dignified living.

A blend of memoir and history, The Water Remembers speaks passionately to environmental justice and conservation, as well as responsible stewardship. Engrossing, Amy Bowers Cordalis recounts her twenty-year fight against the United States government, chronicling how she evolved from a naïve Westernized 22-year-old to an advocate for her people. As General Counsel for the Yurok Tribe, she ensured the removal of the dams in December 2024.

This is a story that should be in American history books. Cordalis shares her family’s generational fight for Indigenous respect that resulted in federal recognition of their cultural and ceremonial water rights. Her great uncle sued the State of California for the Yurok people to retain fishing rights and jurisdiction to regulate its own fishery. A case that made it all the way to the Supreme Court and involved the federal government putting a moratorium on all Yurok fishing, and physical enforcement from federal marshals.

The Water Remembers involves genocide, assimilation, and oppression, but victory, in protecting one’s home, environment, and way of life.

The audiobook edition features original Yurok songs and interwoven archival and newly recorded oral histories, preserving generations of Indigenous storytelling and cultural memory.

Critic reviews

“A Civil Action meets Braiding Sweetgrass, a story of Indigenous survival and triumph from an Indigenous perspective.”—Ash Davidson, DAMNATION SPRING (National Bestseller)

“Amy’s writing sings with urgency and purpose."—Josh "Bones" Murphy, Filmmaker/Director of Patagonia's ARTIFISHAL

"Triumphant story and ever widens the awareness of the dangers that threaten Indigenous people and their historic lands."—Congressman Jared Huffman

The River stories

I love hearing indigenous stories and how they lived and their struggles among the white people

Authentic, Moving, Heartbreaking, Inspiring

This recounting of a people’s struggle to regain and retain their way of life gave both a historical and personal perspective of their journey. Including actual recordings of family members brought a special connection to the story. I am grateful to jknow more about the Yurok People and their amazing victory for their beloved river! Thank you Amy🙏🏽

Thank you for the history

As a kid I was with my mother, Janice Eller) and grandmother ( Barbara Charles Eller) on the shore when (my great-aunt, whom I called Auntie Grandma because was much older than my grandma so I thought naturally she is also my grandma) Geneva Mattz went out in the boat, standing bravely facing the Feds. I remember the Feds were also filming everyone on shore. Thank you for filling in my memories. As a kid I had no idea what this was all about so I appreciate this story. I also really enjoyed listening to Lavina Bowers at the end of your reading.

This book is everything

This is going to be the book I recommend and give as a gift and can’t stop talking about for months. It would make a great movie: Family, fishing, and legal drama. Thank you, Amy, for sharing this story.

The book I could reread for the first time all over again!!

I’m better for knowing the story and appreciated seeing Amy on The Kelly Clarkson show.