“Sacred Rivers” explores the relationship between religious traditions from around the world and American rivers. From the annual casting away of sins by Jews at the Hudson River to the re-dedication to their faith by Hindus at the Niagara River, the project reveals how ritual connects people to rivers in a way that few have explored.

This is a continuing project and this collection is just a sample of the overall project. To view videos and more information about this project, please visit http://www.sacred-rivers.com/

Hindu ceremony "Shraven" practiced the first full moon of every August. This community of Hindus practices on the Niagra River.

Hindus practice "Shraven" the first full moon of every August. Here they are on the Niagara River.

Buddhist celebrate "Vesak" on the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh

Buddhist carry water that holds special prayers to be released into the Allegheny river in Pittsburgh.

Anyone can offer prayers and release a portion of the water into the river during the Buddhist "Vesak" ceremony. Here, a bystander with a boa constrictor wrapped around his next is offered the water.

Participants to the Vesak ceremony release their good intentions, prayers and hopes with a ladle of water into the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh.

 A young man prepares to be baptized in the Fisher River in N.C.

Young men jump into the cold Anclote river in Tarpon Springs, Fla. during the annual "Epiphany" celebration. The young men dive for a cross that has been thrown into the river by Bishop of the church and whoever retrieves the cross is blessed for the following year.

The young man that retrieved cross during the Epiphany dive is blessed in front of everyone in the community.

Retrieving the cross. Ephiphany, Tarpon Springs, Fla. on the Anclote River.

The young man that retrieved the cross during Epiphany goes to business and community centers to collect money for the church.

The Anclote River before it meets the ocean in Tarpon Springs, Fla. The Annual Greek Orthodox ceremony "Epiphany" is practiced the first of January.

An Jewish orthodox man stands above the Hudson while practicing "Tashilkh" on the banks of the river. Tashlikh -meaning "cast off"is acustomary Jewish atonement ritual practiced on the afternoon of of Rosh Hashana, or the Jewish New Year. The ritual is performed at a large, natural body of flowing water, preferably, a river.

A Jewish man and son practice Tashlikh on the banks of the Hudson River.

 A Jewish family prepare to throw pieces of bread into the Hudson River as part of the Tashlikh ceremony.

A family dedicates their son to the natural world during a River Blessing on the Dan River in NC.

A Father and Son during a "River Blessing" on the Dan river in NC.

Sharon Day (center) concludes River Walk ceremony she led along the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio. Day is a member of the Ojibwe tribe in Minnesota and leads river walks all over the U.S to bring awareness to the environmental threats to rivers.

Participants to the River Walk along the Cuyahoga carry water that was collected at the tail waters of the river and will carry it and release it into the head waters on Lake Superior.

The Cuyahoga River threads through the Industrial flats and downtown of Clevland Ohio before dumping into the lake Erie.

The Cuyahoga River Walk ends by releasing waters from the head waters of the river into where it ends at Lake Erie. Native American, Sharon Day leads walks along several rivers throughout the U.S to bring awareness to environmental issues threatening rivers.