Across the world, rivers have borne the brunt of destructive mining practices. In Chile’s Valle de Elqui, those impacts hit close to home. The Cochiguaz River, a lifeline for both people and wildlife in this arid region, has been threatened by years of extractive pressure. But here, the community has drawn a line: the river is family, and family is worth defending.

El Río Es Familia, a Rivers are Life film, tells the story of the Canihuante family and their neighbors, who are rallying to protect the river that sustains their culture, crops, and ecosystems. At the heart of the story is River Hero Rafael Canihuante, president of the Canihuante Indigenous community, who has dedicated his leadership to ensuring the Cochiguaz flows clean and free. Alongside him, his sister Carmen Canihuante is spearheading a petition to have the river legally recognized as a natural sanctuary.

This isn’t just environmental advocacy, it’s cultural survival. The Cochiguaz nourishes vineyards, feeds native plants, and sustains wildlife that can only thrive in the river’s flow. It is woven into the traditions, livelihoods, and spiritual connections of the community that surrounds it.

What emerges in El Río Es Familia is a portrait of resilience: neighbors uniting, generations rising up, and Indigenous voices reclaiming their role as guardians of water. Their movement is a reminder that rivers aren’t just natural resources, they are kin. Protecting them is as urgent as protecting our own families.