New episode! Four books that will change how you see the desert
Discovering the true essence and potential of desert landscapes, often misconceived as barren wastelands, requires a shift in our understanding and approach to their preservation. In the latest episode of 90 Miles from Needles, we unveil the transformative power of four books that may well challenge your deep-held preconceptions about North America’s desert lands.
Key Takeaways:
Deserts are diverse ecosystems, not wastelands, challenging colonial misconceptions and modern development efforts.
Historical oasis Quitobaquito is a lens to examine the interplay between native cultures, colonial legacies, and park management.
Federal policies and immigration impact both human journeys and environmental sanctuaries like desert borderlands.
Unveiling Desert Ecosystems: Beyond Barren Lands
It's a common misconception to view deserts as barren and defiled — derelict lands that need "fixing." This perception has spurred multi-million-dollar anti-desertification campaigns that often miss the mark. The sentiment is echoed in Diana K. Davis's seminal work, The Arid Lands: History, Power, and Knowledge, challenging these notions and prompting us to reconsider our understanding of deserts as thriving ecosystems beyond their "broken" appearance.
"This approach, too, is at least as old as the colonial period and has a long and checkered track record," reads an excerpt. "Many afforestation projects fail because they are attempted where trees have not grown previously under the prevailing climate conditions."
Davis urges us to appreciate the natural variability of arid lands and confront the fallacy that deserts are damaged versions of more fertile landscapes. The implications of this mindset shift are profound—overturning deep-rooted biases against indigenous land management practices and advocating for policies that respect the inherent worth of arid ecosystems.
Rediscovering Quitobaquito: A Multilayered Oasis Narrative
Quitobaquito, a Sonoran Desert oasis in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, serves as a microcosm of the complex interplay between indigenous cultures, colonialism, and modern preservation efforts. In Jared Orsi's Peoples of a Sonoran Desert Oasis: Recovering the Lost History and Culture of Keto Baquito, the author peels back layers of this oasis's history, revealing how colonial incursions and "preservation" have impacted native communities and their heritage.
The story of Quitobaquito is a poignant reminder of the tangible consequences of erasing native landscapes in the name of modern conservation. A revisit to such sites questioning long-held Park Service policies can reveal paths to restoring and honoring the legacies of original stewards of the land.
Borders and Barriers: Human and Environmental Collateral Damage
The impact of federal policies like Operation Gatekeeper on desert borderlands and human lives can't be understated. John Annerino's Dead in Their Tracks: Crossing America's Desert Borderlands, and actions of protesters like Hia Ced O’odham activist Amber Ortega, underscore the inhumane consequences of using the desert as a deterrent for immigration and the environmental implications of border-enforced regulations.
By turning dangerous regions into a necessary path for migrants, we not only overlook the humanitarian crisis continually unfolding but also disregard the fragility of these landscapes. Such realizations call for a revision of border policies with a genuine consideration for both human rights and environmental preservation.
Agaves Ancient and Present: A Agricultural Chronology
The presence of unique agave plants along Arizona's trails isn't just a botanical curiosity but a sign of past human influence. In Chasing Centuries: The Search for Ancient Agave Cultivars Across the Desert Southwest, Ron Parker delves into the history of agaves as evidence of pre-Columbian indigenous agronomy.
"The agaves appear to be anthropogenic cultivars, living archaeological relics developed and planted by indigenous, pre Columbian Native Americans," Parker writes.
These ancient agave cultivars not only reveal a sophisticated knowledge of plant breeding and cultivation by native peoples but also remind us that what we perceive as "wild" may in fact be a historical garden, raising our awareness of human-nature relations through time.
Shifting our perception of deserts from barren to bountiful and embracing their complex human and ecological histories is essential for informed advocacy and protection efforts. By revisiting historical narratives, analyzing policies, and studying the land's agricultural past, we can nurture a nuanced appreciation for desert landscapes, advocating for more sustainable futures for these rich and diverse environments. With a deeper understanding of the delicate interplay between human and environmental aspects, we step closer to both honoring the narratives of those who came before us and securing a legacy of sustainability for future generations.
In other news, the Desert Advocacy Media Network has soft-launched our website at thedamn.org. Check it out!
This newsletter is a project of the nonprofit Desert Advocacy Media Network. D.A.M.N. also produces the 90 Miles from Needles desert protection podcast and Letters From the Desert, an email newsletter by desert writer Chris Clarke.