Page 16 - the NOISE May 2015

Collaborative CommuNities ...
Newsbriefs
The Sedona Center of Yavapai College
eDITeD By
CoNtiNued from 12
CiNdy Cole
yC.eDU ARCHIVes
sedoNa CommuNity meets
oN westerN gateway
iNterview by
miKe williams
The City of sedona hosted a meeting to discuss the “western Gateway” focus area of the Community Plan approved by voters last year. nearly 100 concerned residents turned up at the sedona Public Library to participate. The city displayed large diagrams of the planned Community Focus Areas with emphasis on the western Gateway area. Courtesy photo
The western Gateway is one of 13 CFAs included in the new community plan. It includes Sedona Red Rock High School, Sedona Performing Arts Center, Sedona Cultural Park (cur- rently not in use), a branch of Yavapai College, a campus of the verde valley Medical Center, and surrounding areas. The Community Plan endeavors to address issues of land use, pedes- trian and bicycle accessibility, public transit, parking, and sense of community.
The draft CFA Plan states that“The sedona Community Plan provides some direction for land uses in this area, but also recognizes the need for flexibility to help provide incentives for prop- erty owners and to provide for other potential community benefits. This area has the poten- tial to become a more walkable and diverse environment with a mix of community-oriented uses, public spaces and commercial, lodging and housing in close proximity. educational and medically-related uses in the area and the Sedona Performing Arts Center represent key ex- isting community-oriented components not found elsewhere. ‘Age in place’ development and
‘assisted living’ are examples of wellness-based housing supported by the Plan.”
The public comment period of the meeting was marked by some heated and passionate responses from the community. In particular, the issue of traffic created a noted stir. several people expressed their opinions that the city traffic study that has been proposed should be completed before any further development takes place. some like the idea of a more efficient transit system that would cater to both residents and tourists alike. One man asked “who cares
about tourists?” and stated the city should focus more on residents when considering this area. There is already a project underway on the corner of 89A and Upper Red Rock Loop Road directly across from the high school. A 120-room Marriott Courtyard Hotel has previously been
approved. Building permits are currently under review according to the city’s website.
sedona senior Planner Mike Raber said that the city is still compiling the public comments it received during the meeting and hopes to publish them on the city’s website soon. In addition, more public meetings will be held in this month. They are tentatively scheduled for May 5, 6 & 7 and include both morning and evening times to provide flexibility for interested residents.
SEllinG off PUBliC lAnDS?
In March, all but 3 Republican Us senators voted for a budget amendment that sets the stage for the large scale transfer of federal lands into state control. Those lands could then be sold off to the highest bidder. The amendment (sA 838) to the 2016 budget resolution was introduced by sen. lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and was passed by a margin of only 2 votes, 51 – 49.
The amendment does not actually authorize the selling of any public lands. In fact, it is not actually a law in and of itself. It is only one of many Republican sponsored amendments crammed into the party-backed budget legislation. But it does lay the groundwork for future introduction of legislation that would allow land grabs to take place. Budget legislation is of- ten used to bring attention to particular issues and to demonstrate the position of legislators.
In the Us House of Representatives, Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT) has proposed selling federal lands as a way to reduce the deficit. His proposal includes a request for $50 million in taxpayer money to be spent to initiate the land grabs. The memo discussing the proposal states that federal public lands “create a burden for the surrounding states and communities,” and “the solution is to convey land without strings to state, local, and tribal governments.”
For some states, particularly some western ones, the transfer of federal lands is a state’s rights is- sue. some officials believe that these lands could be better managed and utilized if they belonged to local entities instead of federal ones. But conservation groups argue that this is just a ruse.
Land grab proposals have been financially supported by groups like the American legisla- tive Exchange Council (ALeC) and Americans for Prosperity. The former group is largely fund- ed by exxonMobil while the latter was founded by Koch brothers David and Charles. so, while the state’s rights argument looks plausible on the surface, these proposals may be an attempt to seize control of federal lands so private interests can exploit the resources held within. As a follow-up to the March 31 community workshop, the attached invitation provides an additional opportunity to express your thoughts on the working draft plan for the western Gateway. This same workshop will be held on three separate days at the sedona Public Library, 3250 white Bear Road, sedona: 6PM Tuesday, May 5 • 10AM wednesday, May 6 • 6PM Thursday, May 7.
image by Chip thomas
velopment on Mount Graham actually diminishes the educational power of that place. she spoke similarly of the ongoing occupation of Oak Flat, in southern Arizona. Those Apaches, like her, regard the area as sacred, and have vowed to stay until Resolution Copper with- draws their plans to mine the area.
while some people see nuclear energy as a viable and clean energy alternative to fossil fuels, the communities who have direct experience with the legacy of uranium mining eas- ily debunk that narrative. leona Morgan is coordinator with Diné no nukes, a Diné-led initiative to create a navajo nation free from the dangers of radioactive contamination and nuclear proliferation, including effects from past and proposed uranium mining and pro- cessing. she translates the science of and history of uranium mining on the navajo nation to three main populations: adults in her community, children, and white people outside of her community. “I like to say that I translate english to english,” she said. One of her goals is to create a curriculum focused on uranium to be used as part of the common core standards for education across the country.
Translating the complexity of cultural landscapes to a wider audience is no easy task, which can speak to the powerful role that art can play. On display at the conference were photographs by John Running, colorful narrative drawings by Ed Kabotie, and photos of public art by Chip Thomas and others. Mr. Thomas has 28 years experience as a primary care physician, and more recently he has become a public artist. His work, large scale pieces that combine photography, text, and wheat paste, can be found all over the navajo nation on the side of abandoned buildings, old grain silos, and crumbling walls.
Mr. Thomas regards his role as both teacher and student, and his role as physician and art- ist have become dependent on one another. “The scale of my images and its presentation on manmade structures along the roadside influence the way people see, value, and experi- ence natural landscapes,” he says. “The art is also an opportunity for me to challenge the community to see not only the natural environment differently but their social environment differently as well in that a lot of the imagery I chose celebrates the culture.”
while art has the potential to be quite political, and socially transformative, Mr. Kabotie doesn’t consider himself an activist. “we don’t need to be more active, we need to slow down and enjoy the sunset and make prayers,” he said. “we need to rediscover who we are as spiri- tual beings.”
After a short tour of some pieces of art in the Museum, which lead to an appropriately tense conversation about the meaningful involvement of local tribes in the design and implementation of exhibitions at the museum, the day wrapped up with a group discus- sion on what it means to build and maintain alliances. For Ms. Morgan, the first thing that needs to be addressed is racism, that when someone says, “you native Americans,” they’re already not listening. Activist and filmmaker Klee Benally agreed, and expressed that while he has witnessed successful — often temporary — alliances, he remains skeptical.
“we don’t want to attract people who seek to benefit from the work,” he said, and pointed toward a number of bad experiences, which in part helped to inform a zine he created with the help of others called Accomplices Not Allies.
Before she left, Ms. Uqualla urged the folks in attendance to carry these unique discus- sions outside of this conference. “The spirit put breath in our lungs so that we can speak, yet they put us in categories, they have given us names:” environmentalist, native, artist, activist, teacher. “we’re forgetting that we’re all human, and we’re all unique,” she said. “How do you feel? what does your heart say? The journey never ends,” she said.
16 • MAY 2015 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us
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