How could we do a year about storytelling without heading to the heart of Bigfoot Country? Known to the native people of the greater Klamath region as Matah Kagmi, the fabled humanoid is a benevolent protector of all things wild and evasive. Truth and fiction are mutable in the Klamath, where tropical orchids burst from green serpentine rock and marijuana remains the chief export of the very conservative “State of Jefferson.” It’s a land of paradox, and paradox is a fine starting point for untangling the complexity of the natural and human communities therein.
This is a Wide Open Studios trip, which means we adopt an experiential workshop model of art projects, readings, and facilitated group discussions. We will cover backpacking basics, but the emphasis will be on collaborative and individual projects to galvanize creative energy and share the potential of a cultural experience in the backcountry. In addition to Bigfoot, we’ll focus on the cultural diversity of the Klamath through the stories of the Yurok, Karuk, Tolowa, and Hoopa people of the lower watershed, and the stories of the settler communities that came here to mine, log, farm and fish. We’ll pay special attention to the evolution of post-settlement resource management, which has seen denuded forests and decimated fisheries, as well as a hopeful new chapter that involves dismantling the industrial dams on the Klamath River.
Participants: Andrea Castillo, Dana Diehl, Adrielle Fuller, Daniela Gomez-Paz, Zoe Keller, Joseph Liatela, Hollis Moore, Jenn Rawling, Mia Taylor
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