The Path of Water
Timothy White Eagle
A guided alternative soundscape connecting people to a sense of place along the Duwamish River.
“While walking in the park along the Duwamish, I was struck by the noise from passing cars and nearby industry, and the sound of gunshots from the nearby SPD firing range. I put in my headphones to block out the noise but just replaced it with more of my own choosing.Then, an idea came to me: What if the sounds I tuned into were made for this space? What if I could use sound to connect me to the invisible and historical layers of this environment, while making it artistically exciting, culturally rich, and accessible to anyone with a phone and headphones?” -Timothy White Eagle
For over a year, artist Timothy White Eagle has been listening to the Duwamish River and the stories it tells. Along the way, he has considered the river’s sacred and life-sustaining past and its constrained present day as a home to migrating salmon, surrounded by factories and impacted by stormwater runoff.
The Path of Water is a public listening experience that invites community members to spend time with the river and its stories by listening to audio tracks created by Timothy White Eagle in collaboration with Duwamish Councilman Ken Workman, q̓ʷat̓ələmu ɫukʷalabəɫ ~ Nancy Jo Bob and her daughter qʷəlišəbəɫ ~ Qwulishubulh Mae Bob and sound designer Crystal Cortez.
Three soundtracks weave and flow like the river telling stories of myth, history and connection. The soundscape follows the path of water from the rainfall at the Green River Headwaters through the river system to the Puget Sound designed to counteract sonic noise pollution created by industry; and a collection of stories and memories of the river shared by those who live on, near, or historically alongside the Duwamish River.
The experience, commissioned by 4Culture and the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, is intended to spark curiosity and awareness about the Duwamish River’s rich natural, cultural, environmental, and social histories and its radical transformation over more than a century. Aside from environmental awareness, the experience aims to promote social connection—including recognition of the Duwamish peoples’ cultural heritage—and will use guided walking soundscapes to connect listeners with natural sound, oral histories, and artistic reflection that deepen our relationship with this complex body of water.
The experience is also designed to increase awareness of the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) system and the ongoing work of King County's Wastewater Treatment Division to reduce CSOs and limit their negative impact on the environment. In 2015, 4Culture and WTD hired Sans façon—the artist duo Charles Blanc and Tristan Surtees—to create a CSO Art Plan, which outlines a comprehensive vision for art commissions that bring attention to the often overlooked CSO System. The artists developed The Path of Water by exploring themes in the CSO art plan, investigating the intersection of where our built environment meets our bodies of water. The project is tied to the West Duwamish Wet Weather Storage Facility, which, once complete, will hold stormwater and wastewater during large storms, reducing overflows into the Duwamish River. This will support a healthier Duwamish River for people and wildlife.
When The Path of Water is launched, visitors will be able to stroll along the Duwamish and access audio tracks on their phones by scanning QR codes which will be posted in public spaces along the way, and people will be able to connect to the river from locations around the world through the audio on this webpage. These tracks will weave together sound, history, memory, and the voice of the land itself. It will be a sensory engagement with the river and its ongoing transformation.
“In order for us to imagine a just and healthy future we need to spend time with the animate body of the river, its history, its mythology and its restoration.
The Path of Water weaves threads of sonic artistry, storytelling and traditional cultural (knowledge) into the challenged ecosystem of the Duwamish. It creates an opportunity for empathetic connection to the land.
Through this audio soundscape project, we aim to honor the past, enrich the present, and inspire a collective commitment to preserving this vital waterway for generations to come.” – Timothy White Eagle
Events
Once Wild River: Parallel to ThePath of Water, Timothy White Eagle has been working on a multi-artist and multi-disciplinary effort, Once Wild River. This exhibition brings together photography, video, sound, and installation at Mini Mart City Park in Georgetown from May 9 through June 21.
About the Artist
Timothy White Eagle is a mixed-race multidisciplinary artist and storyteller whose work spans sound, performance, photography, and installation. His practice focuses on creating sensory experiences that invite audiences to slow down and notice their relationship to place. He often works with field recording, text, and visual composition to build layered narratives grounded in attention and reflection. Based in Seattle, Timothy has presented work nationally in galleries, theaters, and public landscapes. His projects consistently explore how sound and story can shape understanding, memory, and belonging.
Crystal Cortez is a sound artist, composer, and educator based in the Pacific Northwest. Their work combines field recordings, digital processing, and experimental composition to create immersive sonic environments. Crystal collaborates across disciplines, designing soundscapes for performance, installation, and public art. As an educator, they support others in developing listening as a creative and exploratory practice.