Outdoor Retailer - Summer 2018 - 68

From the Road: Advocacy in Action

Sending a Message
Frustrated and angry with the Trump Administration's shrinking
of Bears Ears National Monument, land sacred to five Native
American Tribes, a group of advocates decided to follow the traditional routes of Native people and run across this desert landscape.
by Doug Schnitzspahn
WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP SLASHED THE
size of both the newly created Bears Ears
National Monument and the Grand StaircaseEscalante National Monument in February
2017, the entire outdoor industry felt frustrated. Everyone who cared about these landscapes wanted to do something, anything, in
retaliation. After all, Grand Staircase had been
designated a monument by President Clinton
way back in 1996, and a thriving, sustainable
outdoor recreation community has developed alongside it. And Bears Ears, created by
President Obama in December 2016, represented a historical first in American History:

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Five Native American tribes had come together to advocate for protection of the place,
which plays an important role in their cultural history and spiritual ceremonies. But
the shrinking of the monuments meant they
would be open to mining and other shortterm, extractive uses that would compromise
their wildness, timelessness, and sanctity.
Despite the feeling of betrayal and powerlessness that overcame the tribes, conservationists, and local outdoor businesses, 17
advocates for the monuments (and three
dogs) found a way to do something. They ran.
The group-that included luminaries such

"I FELT AS IF, FOR ONCE,
ALL THE STRUGGLES THAT
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN
THIS AREA HAVE FACED
FOR DECADES WERE
GETTING ATTENTION.
FOR ONCE, I DIDN'T FEEL
INVISIBLE. "
as Native Outdoors founder Len Necefer,
Leadville 100 champ Clare Gallagher, and
Outdoor Industry Association social media
manager Katie Boué-decided to undertake
a two-day, 250-mile run, broken down into
six-mile individual legs, bridging Bears Ears
and Grand Staircase. They would run along
the routes used by Native American messengers and learn more about the cultures who
have been linked to these lands for generations. Filmmakers Johnie Gall, Greg Balkin,
and Andy Cochrane chronicled the act of
resistance and solidarity in the short film,
"Messengers" (watch it at bit.ly/2sFTLGR).
"The project taught me how important it
is to use the things we love-in this case, running-as tools for peaceful demonstrations
and advocacy," says Cochrane. "It also taught
me what a motivated group of people can do
in a short amount of time. The project came
together in about a month and was made possible through hard work from a lot of people."
For conservationists, it represented a chance
not just to make a statement, but more so to
connect on a deeper level to indigenous people
and their landscape. "Participating in a relay
with new Navajo runner friends, like Sheyenne
Lewis from Albuquerque, was a humbling
experience." says Gallagher. "I have to remember that I feel so strongly about these places,
but Native people have felt the same way about
them for centuries. We need to celebrate, respect, and protect these original stewards."
For the Native American runners,
"Messengers" brought redemption. "I felt
as if, for once, all the struggles that indigenous people in this area have faced for decades were getting attention," says Necefer.
"For once, I didn't feel invisible." O.R.

Johnie Gall

THESE COLORS DO RUN
The film "Messengers"
follows 20 souls who
ran from monument to
monument to stand in
solidarity with the
tribes for whom this
land is sacred.

http://www.bit.ly/2sFTLGR

Outdoor Retailer - Summer 2018

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