Ani Wiki stood at the finish line with her family. A thick fog hung in the air. Finally, she saw them. Her older sister Keeya and dozens of other teens were paddling their kayaks down the Klamath River. Ani and the rest of the crowd cheered. Some shed tears of joy.

The teens are part of seven Native American groups that live near the river. They had just made history. They were the first people to kayak the full length of the Klamath in more than 100 years.

The river is sacred to many Native people. But for decades, dams had blocked the waterway. Recently, most of the dams were removed. Keeya, 17, and the others wanted to celebrate. So they spent 30 days last summer kayaking down the Klamath (see map). 

Ani will never forget seeing her sister finish the journey. 

“It was so special,” says the fifth-grader.

Ani Wiki stood at the finish line. She was with her family. A thick fog was in the air. Finally, she saw them. Her older sister Keeya and many other teens were paddling their kayaks. They were moving down the Klamath River. Ani and the crowd cheered. Some cried tears of joy.

The teens are from seven Native American groups that live near the river. They had just made history. They kayaked the full length of the Klamath. They are the first people to do it in more than 100 years.

The river is sacred to many Native people. But for decades, dams had blocked it. Recently, most of the dams were removed. Keeya, 17, and the others wanted to celebrate. So they spent 30 days last summer kayaking down the Klamath (see map). 

Ani will never forget seeing her sister finish the journey. 

“It was so special,” says the fifth-grader.

Ani and Keeya are members of the Yurok Tribe. Their ancestors and other Native groups have lived near the Klamath River for as long as anyone can remember. They built villages along its winding path. They fished in the river, which was filled with salmon. And they felt a deep connection to the waterway. Many Native people consider the river a part of their family.

“The Klamath River is our ancestor,” explains Keeya.

Starting in the early 1900s, six dams were built along the Klamath. The dams created electricity for about 70,000 homes. But they also harmed the river. 

The dams blocked salmon from many of the streams where the fish lay eggs. They also warmed the water. That allowed diseases to spread among the fish. Over time, the number of salmon in the river plummeted.

Ani and Keeya are members of the Yurok Tribe. Their ancestors have lived near the Klamath River for as long as anyone can remember. So have other groups. They built villages along its path. They fished in the river, which was filled with salmon. And they felt connected to the waterway. Many Native people think of the river as family.

“The Klamath River is our ancestor,” explains Keeya.

Starting in the early 1900s, six dams were built along the Klamath. The dams created electricity for about 70,000 homes. But they also harmed the river. 

The dams blocked salmon from the streams where the fish lay eggs. They also warmed the water. That allowed diseases to spread among the fish. Over time, the number of salmon in the river plummeted.

Native people spent decades fighting to get the dams removed. They spoke to lawmakers about how the dams were harming their cultures. In 2022, the U.S. government approved a plan to remove the four largest dams.

That’s when a group called Ríos to Rivers began planning the trip down the river. The kids spent up to three years training.

On June 12, they set out for the 310-mile journey. Along the way, they paddled through calm waters. Sometimes they battled huge waves. At night, they gathered around campfires to share stories. Keeya says the trip was life-changing.

“It’s meant everything to me,” she says.

Ani joined part of the adventure too. She and other relatives spent three days floating down the river on rafts.

Native people spent decades fighting to get the dams removed. They spoke to lawmakers. They said the dams were harming their cultures. In 2022, the U.S. government approved a plan. It would remove the four largest dams. 

That’s when a group called Ríos to Rivers began planning the kayaking trip. The kids spent up to three years training. 

On June 12, they started the 310-mile journey. They paddled through calm waters and big waves. At night, they gathered around campfires to share stories. Keeya says the trip was life-changing.

“It’s meant everything to me,” she says.

Ani joined part of the journey too. She and other relatives spent three days rafting down the river.