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Goodbye, Yosemite. Hello, What?

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 sg 04 Sep 2017
In reply to David Coley:

Yes, very interesting and generally depressing, like almost anything that gives historical context to the exploitation of the western USA.

Read article and only noticed at the end it was by Daniel Duane - he certainly cares deeply for the place, for sure - I have a book of his full of loving detail on El Cap climbs, not that I've ever been there!

I know almost nothing of it, but statue-removal sure does seem to be prompting plenty of thought and action about heritage and history in the states again right now and with Trump and the whitelash there does seem to be plenty at stake.

Thanks for the link.
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pasbury 05 Sep 2017
In reply to David Coley:

Interesting article - I've camped at Tenaya lake & climbed on Pywiack Dome in complete ignorance of the history of the place. As the native Americans argue near the end of the article; perhaps the name doesn't matter as much as the recognition of history and, even more, the ongoing struggle for rights.
 Tony Jones 05 Sep 2017
In reply to David Coley:

A worthy read.

Fascinating and depressing in equal measure.
In reply to David Coley:

thanks for posting. as others have said, a compelling piece of writing.

i'd allowed myself to believe that the US national parks were genuine wilderness, preserved in their pristine state by the benevolence of the government, and found Yosemite a deeply moving experience of natural wonder. I was always kidding myself, but i hadnt realised to quite what an extent.

Echoes of another 'wilderness' area, and the process that led to it becoming one, in scotland- with even more brutality and violence. so much of what we see as a pure expression of pristine nature is in fact nothing of the sort. I agree with the article, there should be much more prominent information about the origins of the park on display for visitors; the context is uncomfortable, but better than delusion.
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In reply to David Coley:

Thanks for posting, very informative and well worth reading.
 SenzuBean 12 Sep 2017
In reply to David Coley:

Hetch Hetchy also makes an interesting read - more of Tenaya’s history denied
 nigel n 14 Sep 2017
In reply to David Coley:

One of the best articles I have read in a long time. The atrocities inflicted by the so called march of civilisation on other Indian nations are well documented but this part of the US has never figured highly in the history books. On visits to reservations I have always been shocked by the levels of deprivation contrasting sharply with the rest of the US.
The so called urban ghettoes seem in comparison like pleasant suburbs. We can be sure that this was not restricted to the Americas and that similar things took place in Australasia and many other places at the same time and there are echoes of the (not so very much) earlier treatment of the Celtic peoples by the dominant English majority. And of course we can see the same kind of thing going on today all over the world (Burma..) whilst we happily go about our own business.
The comments on the article on John Muir are especially illuminating - whilst I would not want this to have a negative impact on the excellent work done by the JMT, I will find it difficult to view his writings on mountains and the "wilderness" in the same light as before. His wilderness was the home to generations of native people and the current deification he enjoys would appear to be at the expense of the true history of the lands he writes about.

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