Land Defenders

Join Sacred Land Alliance founders Lydia Breunig and Hilary Giovale for a conversation exploring how settler relationships to place have shaped many people's connection to the Sacred Peaks, what it means to resist colonial ways of relating to land, and discuss their thoughts on how we can become better relatives and accomplices to the Indigenous Peoples whose homelands we inhabit.

Together, we discuss why Arizona Snowbowl is an issue the entire Flagstaff community, and the broader region, should care about, unpack deeply rooted ideologies surrounding the Peaks and the settler community, and hear why this work is so deeply personal and meaningful to both Hilary and Lydia.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us @protectgrandcanyon to stay connected. Every episode shared is a step toward protecting sacred places for future generations.

As mentioned in the episode:

Sacred Land Alliance  Check out Lydia and Hilary's website to get connected locally with this work

Guide to Making a Personal Reparations Plan - Google Docs Shared by Hilary 

Defend the Sacred Peaks  Online resource for Peaks-related information 

Snowbowl Action Kit - Google Docs  Action kit for Ideas of how to get involved! 

Good Relative  to learn more about Hilary's book and work

(5) Picking Up My Bundle | Substack  to view Lydia's writings on Substack 

Join us for Episode 3 of our Monuments and Mines series as we speak with Robyn Jackson of Diné C.A.R.E.​  and Taymond Tolthe of Bidi Roots. Both Navajo Nation-based organizations are doing incredible work within the region. In this episode we explore Uranium Transport and the Navajo Nation, chat about the incredible community organizing their organizations are doing against the Pinyon Plain Uranium mine, and what mining companies don't want people to know.

Support these orgs!
Check out Diné C.A.R.E.​ Home | Dine-care
Connect with Bidi Roots through email at [email protected]

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us @protectgrandcanyon to stay connected. Every episode shared is a step toward protecting sacred places for future generations.

Join us for Episode 10 of our Snowbowl series as we speak with Community Journalist, author, and Professor Kyle Boggs. In this conversation, we dive into Kyle's new book "Recreational Colonialism" as it relates to the peaks.

Recreational Colonialism and the Rhetorical Landscapes of the Outdoors argues that outdoor recreation is not politically neutral but can reinforce ongoing settler colonialism by normalizing non-Indigenous claims to and uses of lands that hold deep cultural, religious, and historical significance for Indigenous peoples. Drawing on examples such as skiing, climbing, ultrarunning, and bikepacking, especially focusing on the conflict over Arizona Snowbowl on the sacred San Francisco Peaks, Kyle Boggs examines how recreation, language, and public-land narratives shape who is seen as belonging on the landscape and whose relationships to place are marginalized. Rather than calling for an end to outdoor recreation, the book challenges readers to critically examine their own participation in these systems and to support Indigenous sovereignty and more ethical relationships with land.

Check out his website at kyleboggs.com

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us @protectgrandcanyon to stay connected. Every episode shared is a step toward protecting sacred places for future generations.

Have questions or want to get involved locally?
 📧 Reach out: [email protected]

Join us for Episode 2 of our Monuments and Mines series as we speak with Carletta Tilousi of the Havasupai Tribe. Carletta has been instrumental in the defense of the region, as well as in the creation of Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni, Ancestral Foot Prints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. In this episode we explore the who, what, where, when, and why behind this monument, and explore the threats Pinyon Plain Uranium Mine, grandfathered into the monument, poses to the region, and how you can get involved.

Check out Monumental Moment here: Monumental Moment Film | Learn, Advocate, Act

Sign the petition to protect Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon here Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us @protectgrandcanyon to stay connected. Every episode shared is a step toward protecting sacred places for future generations.

Have questions or want to get involved locally?
 📧 Reach out: [email protected]

And special thanks to our partners at Beyond the Pines and Home Sounds. 

Join us for Episode 1 of our Monuments and Mines series as we speak with Uranium organizer and artist, Sabrina Manygoats. Learn about the history of Uranium mining in the 4 corners region, why uranium mining is so dangerous, an exploration of what radiation does to our bodies, and more.

To connect with Sabrina, check out her website and social media Home | The Mathues , and (3) Instagram

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us @protectgrandcanyon to stay connected. Every episode shared is a step toward protecting sacred places for future generations.

Have questions or want to get involved locally?
 📧 Reach out: [email protected]

And special thanks to our partners at Beyond the Pines and Home Sounds. 

“We won, they lost.”
That’s the perspective of Mountain Capital Partners on their supposed right to desecrate the sacred Peaks outside of Flagstaff, Arizona despite generations of resistance from Indigenous Nations and tribes with cultural ties to the Peaks since time immemorial.

Join us for Episodes 8 and 9 of our Snowbowl series as we speak with former Coconino Forest Supervisor, Laura Jo West. Hear what it was like to work with Snowbowl and its parent company, Mountain Capital Partners; why Laura Jo’s approach to forest management posed a threat to the company; how she was ultimately removed from all decisions related to Snowbowl; and her thoughts on how the agency must evolve.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us @protectgrandcanyon to stay connected. Every episode shared is a step toward protecting sacred places for future generations.

Have questions or want to get involved locally?
 📧 Reach out: [email protected]

“We won, they lost.”
That’s the perspective of Mountain Capital Partners on their supposed right to desecrate the sacred Peaks outside of Flagstaff, Arizona, despite generations of resistance from Indigenous Nations and tribes with cultural ties to the Peaks since time immemorial.

Join us for Episodes 8 and 9 of our Snowbowl series as we speak with former Coconino Forest Supervisor, Laura Jo West. Hear what it was like to work with Snowbowl and its parent company, Mountain Capital Partners; why Laura Jo’s approach to forest management posed a threat to the company; how she was ultimately removed from all decisions related to Snowbowl; and her thoughts on how the agency must evolve.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and follow us @protectgrandcanyon to stay connected. Every episode shared is a step toward protecting sacred places for future generations.

Have questions or want to get involved locally?
 📧 Reach out: [email protected]

Thinking about skiing at Snowbowl? Might want to think again. Listen to this series to learn more about why you may want to think twice before spending time there…

This episode is part of a series focused on sharing more about the CRISIS that is Snowbowl Ski Resort (outside of Flagstaff, Arizona) and the agencies that are supposed to hold them accountable. 

EPISODE 7:

How is what's happening on the moon related to what's happening on the peaks?

Check out our newest episode of “Land Defenders” with Janeen Phillips. Janeen is a young community organizer, among many other things, and we chat about Snowbowls' bigger picture in colonization, the disconnect between Traditional ecological knowledge and western science, and the relationship between what's going on on the peaks… and what's going on in the stars. 

To learn more and stay connected, follow us on social media @Protectgrandcanyon and wherever you listen to podcasts. Also, consider sharing these episodes with others. Every episode and story shared is another step toward protecting these sacred places for generations to come. For questions or to get involved locally, don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected].

Produced by: Mattea Goetz

In Partnership with Beyond the Pines: A FLG Wellness Collective. You can find them @beyondFLG or www.beyondFLG.com

And a most special thank you to our guest, Janeen Phillips

Photo: Dawn Dyer

Thinking about skiing at Snowbowl? Might want to think again. Listen to this series to learn more about why you may want to think twice before spending time there…

This episode is part of a series focused on sharing more about the CRISIS that is Snowbowl Ski Resort (outside of Flagstaff, Arizona) and the agencies that are supposed to hold them accountable. 

EPISODE 6:

In this episode, we have a conversation with Cora Maxx-Phillips. Cora has been involved in the defense of the peaks for her whole life. Through this time, she has come to recognize that one of the foundations of the issue surrounding the peaks is the lack of understanding regarding what sacred means. Through this episode, we explore what it means to be sacred from her cultural lens, are reminded of the interconnected nature of the world, and are offered powerful examples to reflect on the differences between Western culture and Indigenous ways of being.

To learn more and stay connected follow us on social media @Protectgrandcanyon and wherever you listen to podcasts. Also, consider sharing these episodes with others. Every episode and story shared is another step toward protecting these sacred places for generations to come. For questions, or to get involved locally, don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected].

Produced by: Mattea Goetz
In Partnership with Beyond the Pines: A FLG Wellness Collective. You can find them @beyondFLG or www.beyondFLG.com
And a most special thank you to our guest, Cora Maxx-Phillips
Photo: Dawn Dyer

Thinking about skiing at Snowbowl? Might want to think again. Listen to this series to learn more about why you may want to think twice before spending time there…

This episode is part of a series focused on sharing more about the CRISIS that is Snowbowl Ski Resort (outside of Flagstaff, Arizona) and the agencies that are supposed to hold them accountable. 

EPISODES 4 AND 5:

In these episodes, we have a conversation with Dr. Chris Jocks (Kanien’kehá:ka), chair of the Applied Indigenous Studies dept. at NAU. Chris has been involved in the defense of the peaks for decades, and during this time, has developed a particular expertise on the legal side of the issue(s). Through our conversation, we look at the direct actions filed against Snowbowl and other supreme court cases that have affected Tribal Nations, organizations, and peak defenders’ legal power on the issue. It is clear through this legal exploration that the government upholds money and property above the health of land and people ( no surprise…) … but so does Snowbowl. 

To learn more and stay connected follow us on social media @Protectgrandcanyon and wherever you listen to podcasts. Also, consider sharing these episodes with others. Every episode and story shared is another step toward protecting these sacred places for generations to come. For questions, or to get involved locally, don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected].

Produced by: Mattea Goetz
In Partnership with Beyond the Pines: A FLG Wellness Collective. You can find them @beyondFLG or www.beyondFLG.com
And a most special thank you to our guest, Dr. Chris Jocks
Photo: Dawn Dyer