We’re living in scary times, y’all. In late 2017, President Trump declared the largest elimination of federally protected land, drastically reducing the size of Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments by about 2 million acres. And you know what’s extra jacked up? Trump decided this without ever actually stepping foot in this area of Southeast Utah and seeing the majestic beauty of these national monuments for himself.
In January 2018, a diverse group of 17 individuals, including Navajo, Olympic athletes and data scientists, and five dogs, gathered together to run 250 miles across both monuments in six-mile legs over the course of one weekend to experience the land that would go unprotected with Trump’s declaration, learn more about these lands’ cultural, recreational and ecological significance, and make a stand for our nation’s public lands.
The short film Messengers documents these public land stewards’ run, which you can watch below. Learn more about Messengers by visiting MessengersRun.com, and if you have the means and can contribute to this good fight, make a tax-deductible donation to help support the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) and their lawsuit against President Trump.
Producers: Andy Cochrane, Johnie Gall and Greg Balkin
DP/Editor: Greg Balkin
Runners: Andy Cochrane, Magda Boulet, Clare Gallagher, Len Necefer, Sheyenne Lewis, Jorge Moreno, Katie Boué, Gil Levy, Carolyn Morse, Alice Baker, Craig Prendergast, Lenny Strnad, Brianna Madia, Keith Madia, Wyatt Roscoe, Maggie George and Daniel McLaughlin
Dogs: Bea, Bucket, Dagwood, Chaco and Gizmo
xx Alex