Hetch Hetchy 1

Water is Life, and in this climate crisis, we must acknowledge the harm done to the land and its original stewards. The Hetch Hetchy Valley, once a thriving wilderness called Iyaydzi by the Paiute, was transformed into a reservoir in 1923 to provide water and electricity to the Bay Area. Its flooding sparked controversy and inspired an international environmental movement despite being protected within Yosemite National Park. The valley’s history reminds us of the consequences of prioritizing development over nature and Indigenous stewardship. I created artworks about Hetch Hetchy as part of a public art project for the San Francisco Water Department to share this history.