by Tim Peterson, Utah Wildlands Director
Join the Grand Canyon Trust, the Sierra Club and the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance in Moab on Tuesday, June 16th for a special event: "Our Canyon Lands: Paths to Protection,” an evening with Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, featuring a screening of a brand new version of the short documentary film Our Canyon Lands.
Our Canyon Lands: Paths to Protection
June 16th, 7pm
Star Hall, 159 E Center St, Moab, Utah 84532
Free and open to the public
This new film offers a glimpse of the deep cultural connection contemporary Native Americans have to this place.
"These things that my ancestors left on the walls, that they left in places near springs and along the rivers. Those were left for me and future generations. The archaeological sites, the trails, the petroglyphs and pictographs, all of those things are part of the human experience and belong to everyone, and I think everyone should take some responsibility for protecting them."
– Jim Enote
Our Canyon Lands tells the story of tribal relationships, cultural resources, and recreation amid looming threats of energy exploitation.
The identity and sacred history of Native people is deeply rooted in this region. Home to more than 100,000 cultural and historic sites, many of them still undisturbed, Our Canyon Lands are home to Ice Age hunting camps, cliff dwellings, prehistoric villages, and rock art panels of ancestral Puebloan peoples. The region is still vital to the cultural and ceremonial lives of Native peoples as a place for hunting and collecting firewood and traditional foods, herbs and medicines, practices integral to their culture and way of life.
My generation understands the importance of retaining our culture, retaining who we are; our identity. When you are looking at the landscape, it’s not just there for your use. In my culture, we think seven generations ahead of us. Now it is our duty and our responsibility to teach the next generation the principles that I was taught.
– Deon Ben
Despite the amazing wealth of cultural resources and recreation opportunities found here, extractive industries are pushing into the region in alarming ways. Now, looting of cultural sites, careless visitation, oil and gas development, and uranium and tar sands mining all threaten to destroy the region. Together, the voices in the story ask viewers: What are we willing to sacrifice? What are we determined to protect?
Following the film, join us for a panel discussion moderated by Matthew Gross of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
Justin Clifton, filmmaker
Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club
Natasha Hale, Native America Program Manager, Grand Canyon Trust
Jim Enote, Director of the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center, Zuni Pueblo.
Stay tuned for future screenings near you, and in the meantime, check out the trailer!
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