The Aqueduct Between Us

Vianne Militar

The Aqueduct Between Us, directed by AnMarie Mendoza of the Tongva Nation, explores the settler-colonial hegemony of the city of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Department of Water, navigating its impacts on two Indigenous communities: the Tongva, who are the original people of the Los Angeles Basin and the Owens Valley Paiute, who are affected by the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct. Members of both communities, from residents to students, assert their perspectives and stories on their histories, dispossession of their land and culture, federal recognition, water rights claims, contemporary environmental issues, and how they continue to be disproportionately impacted today.

The strength of this film is in its amplification of Indigenous voices. Los Angeles often represents many things to many people, although it is seldom acknowledged as an ancestral homeland to Indigenous folk. Members provide multiple actionable items, such as in education, history, and policy. It is challenging to protect ancestral waters if histories pertaining to Indigenous homeland are often written off or disregarded. The more that historians and educators engage with these communities in a meaningful way, the more it influences a better future, especially during this critical time as Los Angeles seeks a multitude of environmental sustainability initiatives.

A member expresses that “people in Los Angeles can be better allies to Tongva by standing with us on the front lines but not standing in front of us. Not speaking for us but giving us space at the table and letting our voice be heard and taking action. Stepping back and raising us up.” While the director has taken a step back in the film in exploring each story, it has been effective in empowering voices. Furthermore, although it’s not explicitly in the film, the film’s social media accounts provide additional resources, information, and mutual aid.

This documentary has been able to introduce a broader audience to the Paiute and Tongva perspective. We learn that “water” in Tongva is paar and payai in Paiute. Water is life. While this film centers around Los Angeles, this strikes an essential conversation to a broader audience. The Paiute continue to fight to save their waterworks today. Indigenous folk all around the world face similar challenges, making these conversations all the more significant.

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