Geography offers lectures on the West
Seven interdisciplinary talks begin March 1

By Steve Carr

An interdisciplinary lecture series “Visions for the American West,” organized by the UNM Department of Geography, begins Friday, March 1, with author Charles E. Little presenting, “The Tragedy of Land and the Quest for Visions of the Good Place” at 7 p.m. in Dane Smith Hall, room 123.

The hour-long lecture will include a question and answer period. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Little’s lecture will feature an “anti-slide show” on how the Western landscape has been trashed and provide an overview of how American civic and political leaders — beginning with Thomas Jefferson — have tried to promulgate a vision for the land as the essential cultural element of the American experiment.

“Even though people keep trying to ruin the American West, it is a remarkably resilient place filled with folk who have imaginative new ideas for ways to redeem what Wallace Stegner calls ‘the geography of hope,’ said Little. “I’m pleased to have the opportunity to kick off this series of lectures, which I am sure will be inspirational to people who are concerned about the West. Those who attend may find that they are not just a voice in the wilderness, but among many friends who are trying to make good on the promise of this region.”

Little is a writer, policy analyst on land use and natural resources, former head of the natural resources policy research at the Library of Congress, and president and editorial director of the American Land Publishing Project, Inc. of the Center for American Places. His most recent books are “Sacred Lands of Indian America,” “Discover America: The Smithsonian Book of the National Parks,” and “The Dying of the Trees.”

The series will feature seven hour-long lectures over the course of the spring and fall semesters providing up-to-date, authoritative reports on the status and issues of the American West. It is organized by Bradley Cullen, acting chair of the UNM Department of Geography, with assistance from Little and Hal Jackson, adjunct faculty members in the department. The lectures are co-sponsored by the Departments of Economics, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology and the College of Arts and Sciences, Associate Provost’s office, Ortiz Center, Landscape Architecture Program, Water Resources Program and the Office of the Vice Provost, Research. Upcoming lectures include:

Friday, March 22
“Reclaiming Scenic Beauty,” Meg Maguire — Despite a proliferation of billboards, celltowers and tasteless commercial development, the movement to stem the tide of further outrages has never been stronger and techniques have been developed to restore, reclaim and revitalize once beautiful, once-charming places including inner-city neighborhoods, suburban villages and small-farm countryside through citizen action.

Friday, April 19
“This Land is Our Land: Preserving the Public Estate,” John G. Mitchell — On the status of public lands, mainly mountain areas, and the controversies pertaining to mining, grazing, recreational development, logging and energy issues.

Friday, May 3
“The Sacred Earth: Native American Perceptions of Landscape and Policy Prescriptions for Sacred Lands,” Christopher H. Peters — On how American Indians perceive all land as sacred and how sites used for religious observances have been destroyed by government agencies and private developers.