"Tom Logan is a horse thief. Rancher David Braxton has horses, and a daughter, worth stealing. But Braxton has just hired Lee Clayton, an infamous "regulator", to hunt down the horse thieves; one at a time."
-Plot summary for 1976 movie The Missouri Breaks, starring Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson
Signal Fire’s second annual canoe expedition will float the Upper Missouri, a land shaped by wind, water, and...outlaws!
The Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, aka ‘The Breaks,’ is a region of rich history and dramatic terrain. By turns stark and spectacular, the cliffs that frame the Upper Missouri rise to badlands and rolling plains, a place that has for centuries been a crossroads for Plains Indian tribes. Lewis and Clark passed through in 1805, and the Nez Perce, fleeing the US Cavalry, crossed the Upper Missouri in 1877. More recently, it’s been a battleground between ranchers and environmental advocates, who would like to see the remote prairie protected as wilderness instead of being leased for subsidized grazing.
Our group of twelve artists will use the waterway as both a means of travel and a nexus for interpreting a complex and dramatic landscape. Signal Fire will plan and provide food that we’ll prepare as a group, as well as a series of readings meant to invite a deeper understanding of the landscape and the forces influencing it. We’ll make time for individual art projects, discussions, and relaxation.
The trip will take place in a remote setting, with wilderness camping and several hours of paddling each day. Applicants should be in good physical health, but the hikes on this trip are optional, so it’s a good fit for those who may not be able to participate in our backpacking trips.
Participants: Carla Bengston, Amy Bouse, Abigail Clark, Em Gift, Gabriel Liston, Rebecca Najdowski, Melody Owen, Finn Paul, Mary Weatherford
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