Call for Proposals- Are Rivers Heritage?

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Are Rivers Heritage?

A NiCHE Series

Abstract deadline: May 1, 2026

Rivers and their sediment have forever shaped human and nonhuman realities and potentialities. River sediments have fashioned new landscapes and stories about our existence. Today, our river stories are vastly different from our premodern ones where humans and rivers lived in context, in relation to one another and others. Our rivers are vastly different, predicating mobility, motion and privileging legibility, whilst often devoid of social and cultural context. We continue to examine our histories in and around rivers, yet we do not always know what a river is.  

Can rivers be heritage? What is the place of rivers in our sense of place and/or self? What is the future of rivers? What lessons or parallels do rivers across the world have for Canada?

NiCHE invites submissions for a blog series asking if rivers can be heritage and if so, what kind of heritage. Final posts should be 800-1200 words. The series will focus on the epistemological, historical, and cultural place of rivers with lessons and parallels for Canada, including comparative stories and/or lessons. Blog posts are welcome in a variety of styles, including but not limited to, traditional academic writing, reflective pieces, interviews, narrative pieces, visual essays and more. The central goal of the series is to examine the evolution, role, and significance of rivers as heritage for Canadian environmental history, defined capaciously.

Possible topics include but are not limited to:

  • Histories of heritage designation/riverine restoration laws
  • Comparisons of rivers across territories/ provinces/ countries
  • Indigenous participation/ leadership in and of the process
  • Impacts of heritage/use designations on river use and/or quality.
  • Ecological/Social/Economic/Recreational impacts of riverine heritage restoration eg. fish sanctuaries
  • Rivers and urban history through the lens of preservation, usage prohibition, including daylighting streams
  • Teaching about heritage designations, riverine laws
  • Energy and/or Economic histories of heritage rivers/ riverine restoration

Those interested should submit a proposal of 250 words by May 1, 2026. 

Accepted contributors will be notified by May 15, 2026. The publication will begin in July 2026 and will be ongoing based on contributions.

Send proposals of 250 words as well as a brief bio of 100-150 words via the submission form below. 

Feel free to reach out with any questions to Ramya Swayamprakash at swayampr [AT]gvsu(dot)edu
We look forward to your submissions! Contributions should ideally focus on a specific river, but we also welcome a macro-overview as well as comparative pieces

Feature Image: The Danube in Budapest.
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Ramya Swayamprakash

Ramya is an Assistant Professor at Grand Valley State University in Allendale MI. A transnational and interdisciplinary environmental scholar who focuses on rivers, dredging, and the place of nature in the Great Lakes, Ramya’s research has been published in academic and public-facing avenues. She takes tea and dredging (not necessarily in that order) seriously. Ramya has also published work on dams in South Asia. As a survivor of domestic abuse and as a single parent, Ramya’s scholarship is driven by a commitment to social/ecological justice and equity. Website: www.riverborders.com Twitter: @ramyasat | Bluesky: @ramya.bsky.social

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