Climate Justice, Indigenous Rights, and Geoengineering in Mona Shomali's Debut Novel
Art Heals All Wounds
04/23/26
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Water Mamas: Climate Fiction That Challenges Everything | Mona Shomali on Geoengineering, Indigenous Rights, and the Amazon
In this episode, I sit down with author and visual artist Mona Shomali to discuss her debut novel Water Mamas — a gripping work of climate fiction that explores the collision of indigenous human rights, environmental justice, and geoengineering in a near-future Amazon on the brink of collapse.
Mona's background is as rich as her storytelling. Before writing Water Mamas, she spent years as a college professor teaching Indigenous Human Rights and International Environmental Governance, worked as a case researcher on the landmark indigenous rights case Kichwa Indigenous People of Sarayaku vs. Ecuador, and served as an environmental policy analyst lobbying the UN on behalf of small island states facing extinction due to sea level rise. This is a conversation that goes deep.
Water Mamas doesn't give you easy answers — and that's exactly what makes it so powerful. If you care about climate change, indigenous sovereignty, and the ethics of technological intervention in our ecosystems, this episode is for you.
Timestamped Highlights:
- (00:00) Introduction to Water Mamas and its themes of climate crisis and indigenous rights
- (03:12) Mona's academic background — teaching Indigenous Human Rights and International Environmental Governance
- (03:52) Her work on the landmark case Kichwa Indigenous People of Sarayaku vs. Ecuador and indigenous land rights
- (08:06) The central conflict: cloud seeding, geoengineering, and indigenous consent in the Amazon
- (10:16) Why geoengineering is more complicated than it seems — and who it's already helping
- (13:18) Meet Afa, the protagonist: a UN representative torn between mission and conscience
- (14:44) How Mona's work with small island states facing sea level rise shaped Afa's backstory
- (18:32) The water mamas: indigenous spirituality, mythology, and a chilling dream sequence
- (21:38) The real Macuxi mythology behind the water mamas — and why it matters
- (24:33) Vishnu, the love interest: a character you'll keep changing your mind about
- (28:42) Could there be a sequel to Water Mamas? Mona shares what she's thinking
- (39:07) Where to find Water Mamas, Mona's Substack, and her environmental art collection Invisible Stains
Resources & Links:
- 📖 Water Mamas by Mona Shomali — available at independent bookstores and Amazon
- 🎨 Mona's artwork and environmental collection Invisible Stain: monashomali.com
- ✍️ Mona's Substack on international environmental issues and mythology: search Mona Shomali on Substack
- 🎙️ Learn more about the show: arthealsallwoundspodcast.com
Music in this episode by Ketsa and Lobo Loco.
Previous Episode
What happens when artists are brought in at the beginning of public space design — not as an afterthought, but as essential problem solvers? In this episode I sit down with Nikko Kimzin, founder of Kimzin Creative, an arts and equity consulting firm based in Petaluma, California. Nikko shares how his team uses the power of art to unlock community imagination, inform city planning, and build public spaces that truly reflect the people who use them. Plus, Nikko makes a passionate case for radical joy as a daily practice and a force for social change — and honestly, I left this conversation feeling more hopeful than I have in a long time.
Timestamped Highlights
- 0:47 — I share my thoughts on the lack of community-designed public spaces, including some honest reflections on my own neighborhood in Deep East Oakland
- 2:41 — I introduce my guest Nikko Kimzin and the work of Kimzin Creative
- 6:19 — Nikko explains his "why": uplifting the human spirit through art and community
- 11:07 — Nikko's origin story: from a Mexican-American household to musical theater and New York City
- 13:18 — The turning point: how Nikko shifted from performer to producer and educator, telling more complex stories for marginalized communities
- 18:40 — The Petaluma River Park project: a two-year community engagement process for a 35-acre park
- 24:34 — "I wish this could be..." — how a simple sticker activity unlocked community dreams
- 29:02 — Why a patch of grass is not a park: Nikko makes the case for raising the standard for public spaces
- 38:07 — Radical joy as a daily practice and a tool for social change — this part of our conversation really stayed with me
- 47:13 — Nikko's passionate case for artists as problem solvers in policy, planning, and beyond
Guest Links
- Website: nikkokimzin.com
- Consulting: kimzincreative.com
- Substack: Nikko Kimzin — Advice from a Nobody
- Instagram & TikTok: @nikkokimzin
If you enjoyed this episode, please follow Art Heals All Wounds on your favorite podcast app and leave a five-star rating or review. You can get in touch with me at arthealsallwoundspodcast.com or find me on Substack.
Music by Ketsa and Lobo Loco.
Next Episode
Do You Want to Die Not Knowing? One Artist's Leap Into Art as Service and Healing
Have you ever had someone ask you a question that completely changed the direction of your life? In this episode, I talk with commission artist Shawn B. Standley, whose wife asked him exactly that kind of question — and it launched him into a new chapter as a full-time artist dedicated to healing and community service.
Shawn's journey is anything but a straight line — from aerospace engineering student to carpenter, Navy veteran, restaurant manager, and Alaskan wilderness dweller — before finally committing to his true calling: creating deeply personal commission art that captures people's stories, memories, and life transitions.
Now based in Conway, Arkansas, Shawn is partnering with wellness organizations, end-of-life doulas, and medical institutions to bring the healing power of art to people navigating major life changes. He also oversees the urban farming and community garden program at the Faulkner County Library — proof that art and service can take many forms.
In this episode we cover:
- (1:42) How Shawn's father discouraged him from pursuing art as a career — and how he found his way back
- (11:51) Dropping out of aerospace engineering school and the winding road that followed
- (13:17) Moving to Whidbey Island and finding his first real artistic community and mentor
- (16:03) Going to art school at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle — and why he left
- (18:11) How Alaska got under his skin and changed everything
- (22:07) The question his wife Shell asked that became the turning point of his artistic life
- (23:54) Discovering the profound emotional power of commission art and creating work that tells someone's personal story
- (24:40) Why Conway, Arkansas — and what surprised him about building an art practice there
- (28:45) Finding his why through the Artist Inc. fellowship and the Artists in Business mentorship program
- (32:15) Partnering with end-of-life doulas, the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences wellness program, and the Arkansas Wellness Network
- (37:55) His vision for combining art and healing as a full-time practice
Connect with Shawn: Website: shawnbstudios.com Social media: @shawnbstudios
Connect with me: arthealsallwoundspodcast.com | Substack
Music by Ketsa and Lobo Loco
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