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Cassius Spears Jr. is a member of the tribal council of the Narragansett Indian Tribe, a descendant of the Narragansett people who provided the tract of land to Roger Williams for the village called Providence Plantations in 1636. Cassius works as a soil conservationist for Rhode Island’s NRCS where he brings to bear his native understanding of the river systems and the sacred landscapes of the area. His orientation to the Woonsquatucket River focused on its qualities as a fertile estuary around Providence, “the place where the salt water ends”, and its importance as transportation network, meeting location, and coastal village for the native people of Rhode Island, a site that has been increasingly displaced by colonization and industrial manipulation.