#MyGrandCanyonStory | Feliz Baca

HECHO spoke with Feliz Baca of Albuquerque, New Mexico to learn about her personal connection to the Grand Canyon, her favorite memories there, and why she believes the Grand Canyon should be protected from uranium mining.  

HECHO: What is your personal connection to the Grand Canyon?  

Feliz Baca (FB): My personal connection to the Grand Canyon is that I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but split my time between Arizona and New Mexico growing up. Half my life consisted of living in Northern Arizona, in Flagstaff, taking trips to the Grand Canyon with my family. I didn't start exploring the canyon as much until I got a little bit older and went away from the state because, when you're from Arizona, you don't take as much time to truly enjoy the beauty and everything that it has to offer. So, when I went away from the state and realized how much I missed being in my natural habitat and the land, I truly gained a lot of appreciation for where I was from. Especially for the keepers of the land, especially our indigenous relatives who have been caring for the canyon for ages. So, I really took it upon myself to learn more about the history of the canyon, our indigenous relatives who have occupied the canyon for centuries and who've been caring for it. Now, every time that I do go back to Arizona, especially with my new family members, I always want them to explore the beauty that we have there because it's a natural wonder. It's one of those things that people often hear about, but don't get to truly experience. So, it's one of my favorite ways to connect back with where I'm from.   

HECHO: Why do you believe that the Grand Canyon should be protected?  

FB: I think that the Grand Canyon should be protected because, right now, our planet is definitely calling on us to care for it. I'm a big believer in that Mother Earth gives us so many things that in order to truly accept those blessings, we need to take care of those things and the blessings that she gives us on a daily basis. I see the canyon as indigenous land, it always has been, and the people and the community that are there and that have been protecting that area for so long deserve to have that beauty maintained and not tainted with, because it truly is a wondrous gift that our world has given us. It's our duty to make sure that we're maintaining that beauty and not commercializing it or tearing it apart for capitalistic benefit. It's really about maintaining its natural beauty and the natural wonder that so many people have fought for, for generations.   

HECHO: Why do you advocate for the Grand Canyon?  

FB: I advocate for the Grand Canyon because, without it, a lot of things in our life just wouldn't be. I'm just a huge advocate for caring for the things that have given us our own lives and I think the canyon is one of those things. It provides us with clean water, it provides us with indigenous cultures who have been around to tell the stories of the canyon for centuries. I think all of that is sacred and needs to be protected because so much of what has happened to our land in the United States has been taken over and we really need to preserve as much of that natural beauty and the natural sacredness of these places in order for it to be around for future generations. I want my kids to see the Grand Canyon as I've seen it. There are the seven generations before us and after us, and I want them to all see the beauty for what it is, because this is a gift to us. I know I've already said this, but it something that needs to be protected.   

HECHO: What are your plans for your next visit?  

FB: My plans for my next visit to the Grand Canyon is that I really want to get off of the rims and go a little bit deeper into the canyon and really just take in the beauty of the canyon itself. These last few times that I visited it was with family members. My husband's dad doesn't really like heights, so it was really hard to try to get into the canyon and really look at some of the natural beauty within. The Grand Canyon is a huge place, there's so much to see. It's such a vast area that you can only explore so much in 24 hours. My next goal is really to explore the canyon. I'd love to get a guided river trip, especially by an indigenous woman, that I know is now a river guide. So, that's my next goal, I'd love to do a river trip in the canyon and just explore the beauty that way.   

HECHO: What tips would you share for people visiting?  

FB: If I had to give any tips for anyone visiting the Grand Canyon, it is do your research first and understand the history of the Grand Canyon. A lot of things have been done to the canyon and to the people of the canyon. We are visitors, so when we go to the Grand Canyon, it's up to us to respect everything that they ask of us and to listen to what they are telling us to do. That is incredibly important because this land is sacred. In order to honor our indigenous relatives and all the work that they have done into keeping the canyon beautiful for so many people to visit, I would really suggest understanding the history of the canyon before going to visit and understanding all of the work that's been done by our indigenous relatives in order to make sure that we have access to this beauty.   

HECHO: What are your thoughts about the administration’s policy aiming to open up the Grand Canyon watershed for uranium mining?  

FB: I have a lot of thoughts about the administration's policies aiming to open up the Grand Canyon watershed for uranium mining. I think that we absolutely should not do that because this land is sacred. If our indigenous relatives are telling us that uranium mining is harmful to the canyon, to the people and to the environment surrounding it, then we need to heed to what they're saying because they're the ones that are there. They're the ones that have been tasked with maintaining the sacredness of this land. It is not up to us to desecrate that area. So, I believe that when we are thinking about these specific policies, including uranium mining, that indigenous voices need to be included in this conversation because the canyon wouldn't exist and we wouldn't be able to enjoy its beauty without them allowing us to.   

HECHO: Could you complete the following sentence: Protecting the Grand Canyon watershed from uranium mining is personal to me because...  

FB: Protecting the Grand Canyon watershed from uranium mining is personal to me because our indigenous relatives have sacrificed so much to protect this land and it's up to us to protect their land and allow it to remain sacred. We cannot let uranium mining happen because it's going to affect our communities that surround the canyon. That is primarily indigenous communities, who are often left out of the conversation when it comes to these topics that directly affect them. Uranium mining is dangerous. We see that it contaminates water and that's not okay for us to make those decisions when it doesn't have any direct impact on us. So, we really need to consider the communities that are actually going to be affected by the uranium mining.  

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