In balance Imbalance Land Arts of the American West September 2018
Everyone holding this zine is connecting with the lives within the sacred lands of Diné (Navajo) and Pueblo Peoples. As we begin our communications, let us fully acknowledge from where we are writing and give thanks for the living mountains, valleys, and waters, which sustain our lives and form Diné and Pueblo ancestral homelands. Let us ground our communications in this awareness and may the mannerism of Diné and Pueblo Peoples enter our lives and fill us with gratitude, love, care, and respect for all that is shared between us and all beings. After experiencing the complex, heartbreaking reality of the Fracking is Fracking Reality Tour led by Daniel Tso, we spent some time absorbing and reflecting. We heard about the fractured social and physical health of the communities in Northwest New Mexico. We saw the oppressive density of oil and gas wells. We smelled and tasted their toxic tailings. We listened to the omnipresent vibrations of the pumps. We touched the poisoned ground, where seeds of sustenance and lives of ancestors lie. We felt the headaches and heartaches that daily impact the lives of those whose homes reside here in the “national sacrifice zone.” We were charged by this community to hold this experience within our hearts and share what is forming there with our communities. In their own words, we pass this charge on to you. “We’re speaking from the heart, in the hopes that it touches your heart, motivates you to join our work. This is a critical time. The balance of nature is disrupted. We all need clean air, water, a place to live. Talk to your family, friends. Ask them to call and write to their representative. I hear there is a device called ‘Instagram.’ You can Instagram it.” - Daniel Tso “The reality that we’re facing is we need help, people are dying, the land and water are suffering. We shouldn’t need a PhD to say harm is happening. It’s the culture of violence that needs to be disrupted--violence on our land, violence on our communities. It’s time to take a hard stand, what side we’re on. Are we for life or death? Peace or violence? It’s going to come with a lot of sacrifice, changes in the way we live. We were given everything we need--land, water, seeds. We now have an obligation to grow together. We need everyone to work together, because of the urgency.” - Beata Tsosie-Pena Imbalance is a compilation of works inspired by and in collaboration with the Greater Chaco Coalition. The artists are all participants in the Land Arts of the American West program.
Kyle
Chaco was built to speak with the daytime and nighttime skies. It is not a monument. It is alive in the people, stories, and ceremonies; in the piĂąons, junipers, and grasses; in the cultures and lands of Greater Chaco.
This vitality is being drained by the breaking and siphoning of the ground, by the constant vacuuming drone, by the inescapable lungfuls of methane, and by the flares that blot out the night sky.
These violent intrusions silence the conversation between the earth and the stars.
Help Greater Chaco continue to speak and continue to thrive. Help the conversation continue between the land, the people, and the brilliant world above.
Ryan
“This is a critical time, the balance of nature is disrupted.� - Daniel Tso
The Four Corners region is designated a “National Sacrifice Zone�
Ryan
Kyle
What Have I Witnessed?
I’ve seen the dynamic sky dancing clouds and twinkling stars I’ve watched the Sun and Moon chase each other around the Earth starting and finshing with an explosion of colors I’ve seen the mountains and mesas be painted with the light I’ve watched the ravens ride the winds and the piñon jays giggle togther But ...
I’ve never seen toxic leeches draining the blood of the Earth and spewing venomous gasses Until now I’ve never watched the transportation of the blood and the creation of vortices of unbreathable clouds Until now I’ve never seen poisonous pools hoarding hydration in a desert Until now I’ve never watched the lethal vibrations shake the ground like a constant earthquake Until now
Now I’ve seen the checkerboard turn into a chess board where the people turn into pawns, the land is divided and the Queen is captured I’ve seen the Protectors defending us with all they have I’ve watched the strong Warriors; These grandmas & grandpas These mothers & fathers These children of the water, earth, and sky endure the pain for everyone
I’ve seen them fight without violence only asking humbly for life I’ve watched for too long waiting for someone else to fix the problems I’ve seen the gap narrowing and close to home Now
I have a voice.
Thank You Daniel
Essentials of Activism Self Care
When presented with stories of oppression and environmental violence, we tend to become depressed and discouraged. In order to overcome these immobilizing feelings, it is imperative to direct some of your attention to your own physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Eat good food, get enough sleep, exercise, meditate. You know what you need for the sustainability of your energy. “Self care is activism!” - Asha Canalos
Community Care
Once you’re feeling good, get out and talk to your neighbors and community members. Ask questions to get a sense of what is going on, what needs attention and who needs help. Share the information you find and consult with your community members on possible solutions.
Action
When you have an idea of the areas of need and the possible community solutions, Take Action! Join an existing social organization or start a new one. Do the hard work, but be sure to take breaks when you need to. Ask for help and be willing to work with people who have differing ideas. Don’t be immobilized by the fear of making mistakes. Remember that this is a learning process.
Don’t be an Inactivist!
For more information and to learn how you may help the efforts already underway, please visit the Greater Chaco Coalition at: frackoffchaco.org. The Greater Chaco Coalition includes: Indigenous Community Leaders, Native Groups, Non-Profit Organizations, and Public Lands & Water Protectors in the Southwest and across the country working to stop fracking in Greater Chaco. Follow the Greater Chaco Coalition on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We want to particularly thank Mario Atencio, Samuel Sage, Daniel Tso, and Beata Tsosie-PeĂąa for meeting with us and generously sharing ways in which the Land Arts of the American West program can be of service to the Greater Chaco Coalition. Onward, in solidarity; Asha Canalos Blaise Koller Brionna Garcia Erin Gould Jeanette Hart-Mann Jessica Zeglin Kyle Holub nicholas b. jacobsen Rowan Willow Ryan Henel Sarah Canelas Xena Gurule