About the Alliance
Collaborating for the thriving of all life in Connecticut’s Mystic River Watershed.
Who We Are
We are...
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A tribally co-led, youth co-led community-based alliance of organizations, municipalities, and individuals.
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Rooted in collaboration, and care for the Mystic River Watershed and its ecosystems.
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A network dedicated to stewardship, resilience, and regeneration across the lands and waters of Mashantucket and Eastern Pequot homelands.
Mission
We work together to restore and sustain the ecological health, community resilience, and cultural vitality of the Mystic River Watershed through collaboration, education, and action.
Vision
We envision a regenerated watershed region with clean and plentiful water, abundant local food systems, thriving businesses and civic institutions, healthy, affordable, and high-performance housing, abundant clean energy, and equitable transportation systems.
Rooted in relationship values of reciprocity, respect, restraint, and responsibility, and recognizing the mutual benefits of effective collective action, we envision communities that learn together, plan together, and act together for the living and future communities of life in our watershed and bioregion.
What We Believe
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Resilient communities involve everyone in the shared purpose of collective well-being.
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Collaboration across cultures and differences—especially across generations—makes us all stronger.
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We have much to learn from the river and the lands we live on.
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Being good neighbors and good ancestors means showing up for each other
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Everyone belongs. No one is excluded from participating in the future of this place.
Why We Say "Our Watershed
When we say our watershed, we don’t mean ownership.
We mean belonging—the same way we would say our family.
We aspire to care for the Mystic River and all beings who live here with that same level of concern, accountability, and love.
To be an Ally in this watershed means you or your organization are ready to commit your expertise, time, space, and/or resources to:
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Collaborate across boundaries
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Protect and restore life from headwaters to Sound
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Center justice, care, and long-term well-being for all life
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You don’t need to pay to join us—participation is open to all. What matters is your heart and your willingness to show up for this place.
What It Means to Be an Ally
How We Build Opportunity Into Everything We Do
Co-Governance
Our by-laws guarantee that the Alliance is co-governed by:
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Mashantucket and Eastern Pequot tribal members
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Local youth
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Representatives from each watershed town
Cultural Learning
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We honor the full cultural tapestry of this region.
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Alliance Gatherings (where learning and fun get us involved in the work), the Blog, and the newsletter invite shared learning.
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Our Cultural Learning Advisors help guide us in expanding our awareness and respect.
No Barriers to Belonging
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No membership fees
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A dedicated advisor ensures equity and access in every project
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All meetings and learning spaces strive to be open, welcoming, and inclusive
Youth Leadership
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Young people are not only welcome—they’re essential.
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We co-create programming with the Youth Council, Marine Science Magnet High School, and other local schools to build a civic action cycle that is healing, hopeful, and hands-on.
Stronger together
