\u00a0\u00a0 [<\/span>Photo 1: A young boy plays with the We are Water connect four game. Credit. Daniela Pennycook\/CIRES]\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [Photo 2: Community members discuss the We are Water \u2018Be a Water Manager\u2019 scenario-based activity.\u00a0 Credit: Daniela Pennycook\/CIRES]\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Water Stories\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Community voices and stories are the foundations for the We are Water program. To honor multiple ways of knowing and to elevate community knowledge about water, our team works with community members at each host site location to record local water stories. From Third Mesa in Arizona to the San\u00a0 Luis Valley in Colorado, these stories highlight the diverse perspectives and experiences of people living in the Southwestern U.S. and enable visitors to learn about water from people in their community and region. Stories range from memories about water to reflections about water\u2019s cultural connections.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n —\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Quotes from two water stories illustrate the character of these community stories from people with different backgrounds and cultural experiences, but they each touch on the importance and care for water.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cJust because water comes in abundance from the faucet doesn’t mean it’s abundant.\u201d \u2014 <\/span>Trisha <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>(Chochiti, Ohkay Owhingeh, Kewa, NM)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI had to teach myself how to irrigate 760 acres, and that’s when I began to love the land and love the\u00a0 water like never before.\u201d \u2014 <\/span>Reyes (San Luis Valley, CO)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n —\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Stories are integrated throughout the We are Water exhibit and programs. For example, visitors can listen to the community stories through the exhibit \u201cstory wall\u201d or in the <\/span>online gallery <\/span>and they can gather and share community stories about water through the <\/span>Be a Water Historian kit<\/span>. Storytelling activities, such as scenario-based games, artwork, and observational science, enable visitors to further share their perspectives, experiences and knowledge, and tell their own stories about water in their communities.<\/span><\/p>\n [Photo 3: A visitor listens to a water story at the We are Water exhibit in Bayfield, CO. Credit: Pine River\u00a0 Library]\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Living Room Conversation guide: Water and Life\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The \u2018Water and Life\u2019 conversation guide is the newest addition to the exhibit extension activities. The conversation guide provides a structured way for community members to come together to share,\u00a0 listen, and learn from each other all centered around water in their community. These community conversations provide a unique opportunity to share reflections about water as a vital topic to the shared environment and community health but is rarely discussed. This new We are Water conversation guide is centered around questions that encourage reflections about people\u2019s relationship with water \u2013 for example, <\/span>what is a memory about water or what are your hopes and concerns about water in the community? <\/span><\/i>The guide also includes a prompt for participants to think about what might be missing in the community conversations about water. The thoughtful scaffolding of the guide provides a\u00a0 conversation template and guides groups to a communal reflection on what water means in their community. A guide for the facilitator is included.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/livingroomconversations.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Photo-1_Aztec_Connect4_smallboy-300x225.jpeg\")
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