The beautiful Nashua River ran wild through the

The beautiful Nashua River ran wild through the forest and valley for many years. It provided much for the native people and animals that lived in it and near it. The native people lived off the land killed only what they needed for food, clothing, and shelter. Unfortunately, settlers came and cleared land to build their homes. The settlers built factories on the land next to the river and killed much more than they used themselves. They cut down trees and killed animals for their skin to sell. They drove the natives from their land took it over for themselves. The factories were dumping so much waste into the river that it became extremely polluted. The water was no longer clear, the fish and plants were dead or dying, and it smelled so bad, the residents living along the river tried not to go near it. Eventually, someone decided to do something about the situation. The people worked together to get new laws passed to prevent the factories from dumping their waste in the river. They were successful and slowly the river ran clear again for animals and people to enjoy.

In the 1960 s the Nashua River was starved of oxygen, biologically dead, and one of the ten most polluted rivers in the United States. The sludge-filled river, which flows through New Hampshire and Massachusetts, was a different color every day, depending on what was discharged that day. People could smell its stench from a mile away.

valley A low area of land between shills or mountains, typically with a river or stream flowing through it. Long ago a river ran wild through a land of towering forests. Bears, moos, and herds of deer, hawks, and owls made their homes in the peaceful river valley.

pelts The skin of an animal with the fur or hair still on it. Native Americans used the hides of different animals to make pelts used as clothing.

stench A strong and very unpleasant smell. An offensive odor. As the pulp decomposed, the stench welled up from the Nashua River.

native • A person who was born in a particular place; an indigenous person. • Belonging to one by birth; "my native land"; "one's native language” • Being or composed of people inhabiting a region from the beginning; "native Americans"; "the aboriginal peoples of Australia“ • Plants and animals can be native to a specific area (region).

valley A low area of land between hills or mountains, often with a river or stream flowing through it. From atop the highest mountain, they saw a river nestled in the valley.

nestled To lie close or curled up against or within something. To be sheltered or protected. From atop the highest mountain, they saw a river nestled in the valley.

petition A written document that many people sign to show that they want a person or organization to do or change something. The people that lived along the Nashua River signed a petition and sent letters to persuade the politicians to pass new laws that would protect the river.

pulp A soft, wet substance that is made by crushing something. Every day for many decades pulp was dumped into the Nashua, and as the pulp clogged the river, it began to run more slowly.

generations Average amount of time between the birth of parents and their children The Nashua had lived for generations by the clear, clean, flowing river.

descendants Your children, their children, and so forth. To descend means to decrease or go downward. It is important for us to protect the environment, so that we can leave the world a better place for our descendants.

trespass Going on to someone else’s land or property without permission. The settlers built fences and called the land their own and told the Indians not to trespass.

pollution Substances that make land, water, air, etc. , dirty and not safe or suitable to use. Chemicals and plastic waste were dumped into the river. Soon the Nashua’s fish and wildlife grew sick from this pollution.

contaminate To make something dangerous, dirty, or impure by adding something harmful or undesirable to it. The factories along the Nashua River began to contaminate the water by dumping the left over (waste) pulp, dye, and fiber into the river.

decompose To rot or decay. The chemical process that causes something dead (such as dead plants and the bodies of dead animals) to be slowly destroyed and broken down. As the pulp decomposed, bad smells welled up from the river.

migration To move from one location to another. Usually for changes in the season, sources of food, or to reproduce. Related Word: • migrate • immigrate Geese paused on their long migration and rested on the banks of the Nashua River.

mourn To feel or show deep sorrow (sadness) or regret. Usually during a time of loss. In a dream, Chief Weeawa’s spirit mourned for the loss of the Nashua river.

murky not clear – cloudy - very dark foggy

vivid Seeming like real life because it is very clear, bright or detailed. One night Oweana, a descendant of Weeawa who still lived by the Nashua, had a dream so vivid that he woke in wide-eyed wonder.

shone Past tense of shine. The sun shone down on the water making a glisten like diamonds. They came down from the mountain, and at the river’s edge they knelt to quench their thirst with its clear water. Pebbles shone up from the bottom.

quenched To cause you to stop feeling thirsty. She quenched her thirst by drinking a bottle of water. They came down from the mountain, and at the river’s edge they knelt to quench their thirst with its clear water. Pebbles shone up from the bottom.

thatched Dried plant material (such as leaves or straw) that is used to make a roof of a building. By the Nash-a-way, Chief Weawa’s people built a village. They gathered cattails from the riverbanks to thatch their dwellings.

conquer To take control of through the use of force. The settlers worked together to clear land by cutting down the forests, which they thought were full of danger – wilderness that they would conquer.