DamNation|The Problem With Hydropower is a documentary published by Patagonia that was recommended to me by my AP Environmental Science teacher. The film explains the history of dams first through the lens of attitude because when they were first established, the national attitude was pride for the big dams as they were seen as great engineering feats to Americans in the early eighteenth century. The film quickly develops its historical context to the present-day growing awareness of the world's environmental future and Dam’s role in disrupting the natural world.
The most potent piece of the film to me was when Matt Stoecker and Travis Rummel interviewed natives near the Elwa river. After a dam was constructed on the river, many species of salmon died. The once healthy ecosystem of the Elwa river was instantaneously changed. Where there was once rushing vibrant water was now motionless life-suppressing waters. The natives explained the spiritual significance of salmon. Salmon represent life and are in a large way worshiped like gods. To the natives, the fish give themselves as gifts to the people because the salmon know of reciprocity. The people would in return for their energy learn from and protect the salmon. As soon as the dam went up, this relationship was destroyed. The salmon were scarce and the ecosystem was failing. Some of the elders who witnessed the construction of the dam powerfully told how the loss of the salmon felt like a loss of a family. One man said that he still, after 20+ years, could not be by the river because it brought him so much pain. The Native peoples, who arguably had the best and most sustainable relationship with the rivers, see nothing but destruction when looking at dams. Perhaps we can learn from them before we destroy another piece of our finite world.
DamNation was a deeply sad film, yet ended with hope. The producers and directors showed their own protest of damns. They painted an enormous pair of scissors on one of the nation's largest dams. This peaceful protest was a powerful notion to end on. Their call to action was to remove the dams that have plagued the world and much of the nation.