Edge Of Morning Native Voices Speak For The Bears Ears - Book Overview

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Introduction

Edge of Morning: Native Voices Speak for the Bears Ears is a nonfiction anthology edited by Jacqueline Keeler, who is of the Navajo and Yankton Dakota tribes. The book was published in June 2017 by Torrey House Press and contains interviews, essays, and poems from Native American authors regarding the cultural significance of the Bears Ears region in southeastern Utah. The publication emerged from an unprecedented intertribal alliance formed to protect cultural resources in this sacred landscape.

Publication Details

• Title: Edge of Morning: Native Voices Speak for the Bears Ears
• Editor: Jacqueline Keeler (Diné/Ihanktonwan Dakota)
• Publisher: Torrey House Press
• Publication Date: June 6, 2017
• Format: Print book (165 pages, $19.95) and ebook (199 pages)
• ISBN: 9781937226718 (print), 9781937226725 (ebook)
• Genre: Nonfiction, Anthology
• Length: Approximately 165 pages for the print edition

About the Editor

Jacqueline Keeler is a Diné/Ihanktonwan Dakota writer living in Portland, Oregon. Beyond editing this anthology, she is the co-founder of Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry, an organization that seeks to end the use of racial groups as mascots and other stereotypical representations in popular culture. Her work has appeared in various publications including The Nation, Yes! magazine, Indian Country Today, Earth Island Journal, and Salon.com.

Content Overview

The anthology is structured into three main sections that collectively present Native perspectives on the Bears Ears region and the importance of land preservation:

Part I: Origin Stories

This section includes interviews with key organizers of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition: - Regina Lopez Whiteskunk (Ute), Ute Mountain Ute Council - Willie Grayeyes (Diné), Chairman of Utah Diné Bikéyah - Jonah Yellowman (Diné), Utah Diné Bikéyah - Jim Enote (Zuni), director of the Colorado Plateau Foundation and the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center - Alastair Bitsoi (Diné), journalist and graduate student at New York University

Part II: For this Land, For the Diné Bikéyah

This section features narratives from Navajo activists and academics: - Elizabeth Woody (Diné/Warm Springs), Oregon Poet Laureate - Lloyd Lee (Diné), Associate Professor of Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico - Louise Benally (Diné), activist

Part III: Access to Land Across the United States

The final section includes accounts from indigenous leaders about broader issues of land access and cultural preservation.

Cultural Significance of Bears Ears

The Bears Ears region spans 1.9 million acres and serves as ancestral homeland to more than thirteen southwestern tribes. The area contains numerous artifacts, petroglyphs, and cave dwellings that indicate the presence of Native peoples since time immemorial. As stated in the anthology, "To us, these places represent more than grass, hills, mountains, and trees…they hold the links to our past and our future."

The book details how the cultural resources of Bears Ears were subject to ongoing desecration and extraction of natural resources by energy companies. In response, five tribal governments—the Ute Mountain Ute, Navajo, Hopi, Pueblo Zuni, and the Ute Indian tribe of Utah—formed the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition in 2015 to lobby for permanent protection. Their efforts resulted in President Obama designating 1.35 million acres as a national monument in 2016.

Contributors and Perspectives

The fifteen contributors represent a diverse range of backgrounds including multi-generational writers, poets, activists, teachers, students, and public officials. Each contributor has a strong tie to landscape and a particular story to tell about Bears Ears. Notable contributors include:

• Willie Grayeyes, Chairman of Utah Diné Bikéyah, who shares his ancestral ties to the Bears Ears
• Klee Benally, Diné activist, musician, and filmmaker, who poses the question, "What part of sacred don't you understand?"
• Morning Star Gali, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer at Pit River Tribe, who speaks to the fight for cultural preservation

Critical Reception

The anthology has received positive reviews from various publications:

• Foreword Reviews described it as "a finessed articulation of respect and the simplicity of being human"
• The Utah Review praised it for "invigorat[ing] the public policy details of environmental issues and natural conservation with new voices"
• The Deseret News called it "a beautiful collection" and "an important read"
• The Salt Lake Tribune noted it presents "Native American expressions in poems, essays, reflections and interviews"
• The Seattle Review of Books stated that "Storytelling is a way of making sure the importance of the land is known, and can help spread awareness"

The book was also recognized as a 2017 INDIES Finalist in the Anthologies category.

Themes and Questions

The anthology explores several critical questions regarding land preservation, indigenous sovereignty, and cultural heritage:

• What is the value of indigenous cultural landscapes compared to the land's natural resources that can be extracted for economic wealth?
• Where is the value of the land?
• Who has authority to control the land: indigenous populations whose ancestral "footprints [span] across the landscape" for millennia or "contemporary" settlers who colonized the area?

The book emphasizes that preservation of sacred lands to which Native peoples lay claim does more than protect fragile ecosystems and archaeological sites. It allows modern people to experience how their ancestors lived and uphold traditional knowledge for future generations.

Conclusion

Edge of Morning: Native Voices Speak for the Bears Ears presents a collection of Native American voices advocating for the protection of culturally significant lands. Through interviews, essays, and poems, the book explores the deep connection between Native peoples and the Bears Ears region, highlighting the ongoing efforts to preserve this sacred landscape. The anthology has been well-received for its emotional impact and cultural significance, contributing to important conversations about tribal sovereignty and the preservation of sacred places across the United States.

Sources

1. Foreword Reviews - Edge of Morning Review
2. Torrey House Press - Edge of Morning Page
3. Everand - Edge of Morning Book Page