#i am a colorado native

[greenvertumna]

Lobster used to be food for prisoners and poor people and that makes me mad. I love lobster and apparently rich people stole it

[ivorysorrows]

I absolutely need to make the woods around my cottage even more sinister

[toxycodone]

ship. captain grant mccurley (curly) x reader

content. general hcs + sfw + romantic

an. hehe u guys know i love doing these big ass hc posts to like. characterize and get a feel for how I write for characters sooo yaaaay enjoy this

general curly hcs (feat. the Tulpar crew near the end)

as much as I love scottish/irish/british curly,,,,he is american born. HEAR ME OUT. his parents/grandparents are immigrants buuuut this man is all american (where it counts ig).

he's from Colorado! his family mostly lives around there/mid america. He grew up playing a lot of winter sports (hence his love for it). As a kid he played ice hockey for sure and lost a tooth. there's a polaroid at his mom's place with him smiling happily after a game with a bloodied tooth in between his fingers

but as a pre-teen/teen he moved to the south. somewhere around the mid-south/mississippi basin. as sad as he was to leave Colorado behind, he latched onto southern culture sooo fast. I am a huge southern transplant Curly believer.

And this is when he meets jimmy. They went to 8th grade and high school together. After witnessing Jimmy's terrible ass home life, curly kinda latches onto him. It's a weird mix of being way too empathetic, his savior complex, and just desire to be useful/helpful/etc.

Jimmy basically lived with Curly his junior and sophmore years of high school. His household was abusive and terrible so Curly's own parents let him "sleep over". He has his own toothbrush, loofa, shower products, etc at Curly's. He didn't even ask for them either, Curly and his dad got them out shopping once.

^ Jimmy is thankful but oh my GOD does he resent curly for having such an unproblematic home life. curly has vented about his parents being too overprotective or something before and jimmy lashes out at him for it (oof)

Curly sticks up for Jimmy way. too. much. As much as he cares, it's actually kinda toxic. Curly never lets Jimmy face the consequences of his own actions, downplays all his shit, doesn't take the warning signs Jimmy clearly exhibits...he kinda acts as a barrier to Jimmy growing up and learning to be himself alone.

And on the other hand, Jimmy is way to enabling of this. It's easy. Simple. He latches onto Curly and like. feels threatened by any new friends, romantic interests, etc.

when Curly starts working for the Pony Express (an actual REAL career that takes Curly away from Jimmy)...Jim spirals. yeah.

He goes to jail. and when Curly gets back from his haul, the first thing he does is bail him out, co sign shit for him, etc. So again, Jimmy doesn't face the consequences of his actions. (and we see how that plays out in game...)

BUT YEAH. Jimmy is a mississippi native and he and curly do so much country ass shit together. hand fishing for catfish, mudding, hunting, all that jazz. they are avid rodeo fans too. Curly goes every year (he's tried to compete. broke his wrist doing those calf cathcing/tie down things i think)

Curly and the Tulpar crew have been together for a handful of hauls. (I mean in-game dialogue suggests this too). Knowing people that long means he's a well respected captain and they're kinda a little family!

Swansea is tough to work with, but actually respect's curly. This is bc Curly skirts by the typical PE rules, but not in a bad way. He's really adamant about safety and following protocol, which Swansea respects (although it's annoying). But the 5 hours of rest rule? Curly thinks that's ridiculous. As long as the work is being done, Curly doesn't count break time. So there's plenty of blankets or pillows lying around the common room in case anyone needs a nap on one of the couches. Curly also advises everyone have a blanket and pillow in their work areas during shifts for "comfort" (it's just code for everyone to catch some sleep outside of the time they spend in their quarters).

Curly also makes sure they have game nights + shared meals +etc. He counts these as "meetings" or "team building exercises" when sending reports to corporate.

Curly and Anya haven't been together too long compared to the others. The Tulpar haul is her second haul with Curly, but they've known each other for at least 3+ years and are pretty comfortable with each other. Curly made sure she felt as comfortable as possible being the only girl on their team. (well. yknow. until that ultimately gets tested.) But I think Anya and Curly aren't extremely close which explains why she doesn't immediately come to him w issues + why Curly doesn't deal w Jimmy in a harsher way (it's a combination of Curly being sleep deprived, favoring Jimmy, and ultimately his own paranioa and shortcomings. Curly has a real problem confronting Jimmy bc of his past w lashing out).

Curly is an insomniac. Not on Earth, but on hauls most definitely. He has a lot of anxiety about hauls (which he chalks up to being "normal") and the monotony of them drives him crazy. He's constantly a little sleep deprived.

He picked up weight lifting as a hobby on hauls bc cardio is like. impossible on that ship and it makes him feel good. <3 When he doesn't have access to the gym he does pull ups on loose bars on the Tulpar and stuff lol. He has a few weights and crap though. And that Pony Express brand protein powder is hella useful for cutting.

sfw + romantic

Oh he most definitely doesn't have a partner on earth. It's why he's facing his mid life crisis shit because he's like my god. all this work and status and nothing to show for it wtf. I think he really wants to have a relationship, but most people don't want to put up with the fact he's gone for about a year or so. off planet. with little communication.

On the Tulpar he keeps it in his pants. Curly is a professional and does his best to continue acting that way. But no one really comes onto him anyways? (if they did. my God I think he would be very weak to it.)

He has rizz. Like. Mr. Grant McCurley can fucking flirt like a champ. If he wants you he will make it clear. Ask you out for drinks. Then pay at the end. He makes it clear he's not expecting anything either?? Total southern gentleman shi

Insists on only giving a cheek kiss after the first date too like sheeesh (he's playing the waiting game with you. trying to keep you wanting HIM yeah he's good).

I like to think he's more traditional when it comes to romance like...dates weekly or bi weekly. Gives you flowers and chocolates and stuff. He actively pursues you and its soooooo <3333

No sex until at least after the third or fourth date too like. AGAIN. WAITING GAME. wants you to initiate that stuff (but he'll give hints like putting his hand on your knee and letting it trail up your thigh. YEAH)

He's the type who is always planning his life with you in it. Like, he's gotta have your fave snacks/drinks in his pantry/fridge. You have your own stuff at his apartment before you move in (that he bought, btw. he takes note when he visits ur place). His apartment feels like your home away from home. <3

He definitely rubs his stubble on you to annoy you when he gives you hugs. ewwww i hate men (im lying)

ok idk what else to write but. he used to use old spice but now uses a calvin klein cologne that man smells GOOD ASF

ok thats all i got enjoy

[mattymartin]

↳ MIKKO RANTANEN SAYS GOODBYE TO THE AVALANCHE | 1.26.25

To my Colorado Avalanche teammates, the incredible fans in Denver and the entire organization, words cannot fully express how much these past 10 years have meant to me. From the moment I was drafted as a young player from my native Finland, this city embraced me and helped shape me both as an athlete and as a person. Winning the Stanley Cup here was a dream come true, and sharing that moment with all of you is something I will cherish forever.  The trade to the Carolina Hurricanes came as a surprise to me, and it is still sinking in. That said, I am incredibly excited to join such a talented team and I can’t wait to get to work and contribute to their success this season.  I feel very grateful for my time in Denver and wish to thank everyone in the organization, especially my teammates, coaches and our fans, for your unwavering support. I’ll carry the memories with me as I begin this new chapter of my career.

[annieqattheperipheral]

HER STORY IS INCREDIBLE EVERYONE SIT DOWN AND LEARN FROM THIS QUEEN ⤵️

Kiana Scott, who played minor hockey system for 11 seasons, including four seasons on boys teams, gravitated to scouting from watching her brother’s games and critiquing his strengths and weaknesses.

Unaware of jobs available in hockey, she enrolled in makeup artistry college after high school, but knew her heart was in the sport.

She eventually enrolled in an online hockey general manager scouting course.

Scott joined the International Scouting Service Hockey mentorship program in 2018 and scouted for the service for two years while holding down two jobs.

“I love scouting future prospects, and the evaluation process,” she said. “I think that's kind of where my passion lies. It's just the evaluation process. And it's exciting, building a team.”

Scott spent two seasons as a full-time scout for Erie before she took a bold step and left the organization to move to Calgary and became an independent scout in June 2022.

“I just kept practicing my craft and kind of paid my own way, like, throughout the whole year,” she said. “All of the tickets to every game, all of my travel expenses, everything. I just put all my money into scouting and trying to evolve and then I ended up getting my (Avalanche) internship the next year.”

Scott had some financial help from her family for the move and she supplemented her income by working as a bartender at a Calgary casino, a job with hours that allowed her to scout games.

If all that wasn’t enough, she also enrolled in the University of Florida’s online sports management program.

“I've always had the mindset to just keep betting on myself and working hard and evolving,” she said. “I think I've taken a lot of risks to get to where I am, but I wouldn't try to change the journey for anything.”

Scott said she hopes women, women of color and people who don’t come from a so-called “traditional” hockey background will follow her on the journey.

“I grew up playing hockey, but I didn’t play professional hockey, I didn’t go to college or university for hockey,” she said. “I just had a passion for it. I love scouting. I worked at it, and I continue working at my craft.

“People that don’t necessarily come from the traditional background, I hope they see themselves in me and believe that they can put their minds to it and get it done.”

-----

The 2024 NHL Draft was as eventful for Kiana Scott as it was for the players who were selected in the seven-round event at Sphere in Las Vegas last month.

The 25-year-old Barrie, Ontario, native signed with the Colorado Avalanche at the draft to become a full-time amateur scout, fulfilling a goal she has had since she was a teenager.

“This is something that I've worked really hard for my whole career to be able to sign my first NHL contract,” Scott said. “I was elated. The Avs have been really good for me the past year, and I’m excited to keep building with them.”

Scott joined the Avalanche after working as an intern for the organization.

Colorado general manager Chris MacFarland said he and executive director of hockey operations Suzanne Borchert “were impressed with her work ethic and her passion."

MacFarland said: “Kiana was on our radar when she was scouting in major junior circuits ... and it worked that a few years ago we had an internship opportunity for her.

“She did a good job in that role and was an integral part of our amateur scouting department. We’re excited to see her contributions moving forward in her full-time role as an amateur scout.”

-----

Scott made history when she became the first woman scout in the Ontario Hockey League with Erie in March 2020.

She was among the initial of a wave of women who were hired in recent years as scouts at all levels of hockey, including Cammi Granato (Seattle Kraken), Blake Bolden (Los Angeles Kings), Krissy Wendell-Pohl (Pittsburgh Penguins), Meghan Hunter (Chicago Blackhawks), Gabriella Switaj (Anaheim Ducks) and Brigette Lacquette (Chicago Blackhawks).

Granato moved on from Seattle to become an assistant general manager for the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 10, 2022, and Hunter was promoted to assistant GM by the Blackhawks on June 22, 2022.

“When I first started scouting, I didn’t know of any women in the industry already,” she said. “Cammi Granato got her job with the NHL a year after I started scouting. That’s when I kind of knew it was possible. But I never had anyone to look up to. I just had this dream and the passion for hockey. I knew that I had to the talent and skill to do it, and to try to keep building on them.

"That’s what I’ve always gone off on -- keep evolving, never give up on what you love.”

[georgievs]

@/cradnec: To my Colorado Avalanche teammates, the incredible fans in Denver and the entire organization, words cannot fully express how much these past 10 years have meant to me. From the moment I was drafted as a young player from my native Finland, this city embraced me and helped shape me both as an athlete and as a person. Winning the Stanley Cup here was a dream come true, and sharing that moment with all of you is something I will cherish forever.

The trade to the Carolina Hurricanes came as a surprise to me, and it is still sinking in. That said, I am incredibly excited to join such a talented team and I can’t wait to get to work and contribute to their success this season.

I feel very grateful for my time in Denver and wish to thank everyone in the organization, especially my teammates, coaches and our fans, for your unwavering support. I’ll carry the memories with me as I begin this new chapter of my career.

[eugenedebs1920]

Beyond that lab in Wuhan, long before the COVID 19 virus crested the shores of the United States a pandemic had begun to infect the American populous.

In 1999 I was a sophomore in high school. I would skateboard to school, listening to NIN pretty hate machine or Ministry’s Filth Pig album on my Walkman, whatever rock, or metal album I had recorded to cassette. I Wore Jnco pipes halfway down my ass, and usually some mildly offensive tshirt. One could say I was a dirty stoner f*ck.

So holding true to my pothead principles, when 4/20 comes around, you’re ditching school and getting high.

As a Colorado native (although well before weed was legalized there) we take our cannabis holidays seriously. So following tradition, on April 20th, 1999 myself and a few of my dirtbag friends went over to a buddy’s house to blaze.

As blunts and joints, bongs and pipes were shared between friends, jokes and laughter drowned out the volume of the tv, rendering it basically background noise. I remember being perplexed to see the banner on tv stating that a shooting was taking place in a school in Littleton Colorado. Littleton was no more than 5 miles from the school district I attended.

Apparently Columbine High School was under attack. I didn’t have any friends there, but I did play against them in football (they beat us handedly). Despite the copious amounts of cannabis smoked, it was a sobering moment. To think, just a stones throw away, a couple kids, my age, had taken a school hostage and there were suspected victims.

Harris and Klebold would kill 15 people in that shooting, injuring many others. The contusions went beyond students and staff present that day. The entire state of Colorado, the United States, perhaps the civilized world hadn’t seen anything quite like it. Unbeknownst to all, this would only be the beginning.

Youth goes by so fast. One day your skateboarding to class, listening to your Walkman, the next you’re in your work truck barreling to a jobsite, taking in a favorite podcast.

The Columbine shooting was one that stuck in my memory, I can also recall one in Boulder Colorado at a grocery store. There’s the Parkland shooting that comes to mind and the horrific scene at Sandy Hook elementary. Otherwise there’s been so many it’s hard to keep track.

Unlike a large proportion of liberals such as myself, I have a predication for firearms. I don’t jerk off to them like maga. Nor am I delusional enough to think that I could make my stand against the United States military. It’s just that, if redneck Bob has an AR15, I want one too. If he has a bazooka, I want one too. Heck! If he had a tank, I want one too! You don’t bring a knife to a gunfight and you don’t exchange 556 rounds with a .22 or even 9mm.

Again, unlike like much of the left, I don’t think the source of these massacres are due to the gun soaked culture America condones. Although access may make it easier, the cause is not the gun, it’s the person holding it.

I have a significant amount of firearms and not once have I thought to myself, ‘Hey! Why not go slaughter a bunch of unsuspecting innocent people?”. There are numerous reasons for this, and even not being the stablest of stable individuals, I don’t suffer from homicidal ideation. That, and I’m not a psychopath.

There has never been a moment of rage, a despair so low, a lapse of reason to where murdering civilians in mass was given space as an option. Alas, to far too many it has.

I often can put myself in someone’s position. Not empathetic, but see a situation through the eyes of someone. Feel the fear or anger, the desperation or righteousness, can see the frustration and feeling of abandonment.

To get to a point where a mass shooting is appealing, appropriate, or justified, is a mental arrangement based on confusion, revenge, spite, or indignation, extreme sadness.

A healthy individual would process these emotions, internalize and rationalize them, coming to the conclusion that this act is wrong. Find and isolate the trauma or root cause that would raise such hostilities from themselves. A healthy individual would certainly not act upon such inclinations. A healthy person would reach out for help to resolve the growing conflict festering in their minds from friends, or either a mental health professional.

Regardless what part of this country you reside in, rural, urban, upscale or skid row, we have all seen some fellow citizens struggling with mental health. This could be as obvious as someone with schizophrenia screaming to a void of humanity. This could take shape in the loneliness epidemic that is affecting our aging male (and female) population. This can manifest through aggression and crime.

America psyche is not well. Addiction, loneliness, depression, anger, racism, despair and delusions of grandeur run rampant across it. From my perspective as a male citizen, we are taught to ignore these issues. To see it as sissy or lacking masculinity. To hide our pain that we carry with us from the world around us.

Women carry their own burdens, their own set of obligations and fears, body dismorphia and stress. Although it is more socially accepted to seek help and/or share troubles, it is not always apparent, nor does it hold any less relevance or suffering than the male experience.

Mental health is as important, if not more important to a persons overall health than physical health. Yet there seems to be a stigma around mental health. The notion that it serves either as a luxury for over privileged snowflakes with first world problems, or that therapy shows a lack of personal strength, or as if seeking it is to confess your insanity.

None of these cases resemble factuality.

As individual beings we all have a story, we’ve all lived a life. What one considers commonplace, the other may see as absurd, what hurts one may have no affect to another.

Trauma is real. Trauma is not only that which may have happened to you, but also that which did not. As children we are vulnerable and dependent, malleable yet fragile, able to adapt and protect ourselves without our knowledge.

In this we build traits we may not even be aware of, coping mechanisms installed long ago as a way of dealing with the uncertainty and emotions we but just began to cultivate. Our child mind will forever impact our adult self, forging and shaping who we are today, and unbeknownst to ourselves we harbor defense mechanisms and coping skills we were unaware existed.

Recent studies suggest that biologically our minds can’t keep pace with the technological and social advances in the present. In terms of biological and human existence, the last 200 years have transformed the way in which we survive, life itself.

It wasn’t that long ago where the only means of mass transportation was ships. It wasn’t that long ago where the only means for long distance communication was parchment carried by a messenger on foot or horseback. It wasn’t long ago the only means for food was hunting with spear or bows. It wasn’t long ago humanity wasn’t much more than nomadic tribes bartering goods. Heck! It was less than 250 ago colonists with black powder muskets fought off the Red Coats to enshrine this nation with liberty.

Needless to say, in an evolutionary standpoint the human mind was not developed to process the information and societal systems that our world has become.

Anxiety is a survival skill, pumping adrenaline and heightening senses in the cause of self preservation. All mammals, as well as other species, have this instinctual protective feature in which to stay alive, to avoid becoming a predators next meal.

As humans our rise to the pinnacle of apex predator has outpaced our instincts for survival. To the point where now we don’t worry about becoming a snack for a beast of equivalent predatory capabilities, but that instinct to survive, that internal fear of avoiding one’s demise, is very much embedded into our subconscious.

This has led to increased hyper vigilance and stress conducting itself in ways that don’t suit our status on the food chain. Rather than worrying about becoming food, we worry about obtaining food. Rather than worrying about fighting off a larger species, we worry about competing with our social standing within our species. Our basic instincts are very much apart of our human brain, yet aren’t up to date with the rate in which our advances have emanated through our experience

Now this once imperative and essential survival skill is no longer relevant in the way in which we live, yet very much ingrained in our thoughts. Stress and anxiety is just our minds trying to keep us safe in a world where it is unnecessary for it to do so.

I am not a mental health expert, nor am I a scientist, I’m just some idiot with a phone and apparently expendable time in hopes to communicate my thoughts with others.

What I’m trying to pass along is your mental health is important to your overall wellbeing. That these feelings of anxiety, stress and depression are natural and just basic survival mechanisms adapting to the vastly different environment we live in today than what we did less than a millennium ago. That you are not alone in your experiences and difficulties navigating this life.

It does not show weakness to ask for help, to open up to a friend or confidant about how and what you’re feeling, your struggles, your thoughts. Don’t allow these things to consume you, to overrule your better judgment.

The actions that these mass shooters have engaged in, even actions such as suicide, are permanent solutions to temporary problems. If you’re experiencing difficulties realize you’re not alone, that this too shall pass, that it won’t always be dark. Life isn’t easy, and if someone told you it would be they were pulling your chain. That doesn’t ease the burden of being human but hopefully can console you in the idea that we all go through this, that pain is natural, that there are no problems where there isn’t a solution.

Take care of yourself. Reach out if needed. Understand your wellbeing overall is greatly impacted by taking care of the mind as much as the body. That we are all in this together and we all are doing the best we can.

[southwest-pottery-bracket]

Preliminaries: War of the Utility Wares!

Most pottery you find in archaeological sites isn't painted. Most pottery is unslipped, undecorated utility ware - with the assumption that "utility" typically here means "cooking over a fire." Sometimes grain storage. Usually cooking, though.

It doesn't mean they can't be beautiful in their own right. And one of my friends is working on a dissertation which among other things argues that "surface treatments" like incising and corrugation should be considered "decoration" too, when usually in archaeology "decorated" means "painted." There were lots and lots and lots of types of utility wares. Some were plain. Some were gorgeous.

So this is a Preliminary Round - four different styles traditionally called utility ware will go up against each other... only two will move on to represent utility wares in the final bracket.

Vote for your favorite: More information about each is under the cut:

Corrugated

Mesa Verde Corrugated jars. Southern Colorado, AD 1100-1300.

There are SO many different types of corrugated pottery; if I listed them all we'd be here all day. However, they all have commonalities: They were primarily (though not exclusively) made in the Mogollon cultural region, primarily (though not exclusively) plain and unpainted, and primarily (though not exclusively) used for cooking.

In this region, potters don't use pottery wheels. Pots are hand-built, typically from coil-building: using many thin coils to build up the shape of the pot. For most pots, those coils are scraped smooth as they're still wet. But for corrugated pots, those coils are only scraped smooth on the inside. The outside coils are instead pressed using a tool or the potter's thumb to make a patterned, scaled, or woven texture. Corrugation, due to its association with cooking pots, is not typically considered "decoration" by archaeologists, but it creates beautiful and captivating patterns.

Micaceous

Micaceous Bowl with Etched Flowers. Made by Virginia Romero (Taos Pueblo, 1896-1998).

In northern New Mexico, there are golden-red clays with a lot of sparkly mica in them. The mica self-tempers the clay, and creates a lovely shimmering effect when you see the pots in person. There's evidence of polished micaceous pottery being made as early as the 1300s, but it really took off as a popular type of cooking ware in the 1500s-1600s. In this time, it was made primarily by norther Pueblos like Taos, Picuris, and Nambe, but was enthusiastically adopted by the Jicarilla Apache as well, who have strong social ties to those northern Pueblos. Cimarron Micaceous, the handled jar seen above the cut, is a 1600s Apache micaceous pottery style.

Micaceous pottery is still extremely popular with Native potters today. Some of it is as an art form, with many different experiments in structure and style, but some people still swear by cooking in these micaceous clay pots - beans just taste better when cooked in clay instead of metal!

Incised

Taos Incised jar sherd. Northern New Mexico, AD 1050-1300.

Incised ware is SO underappreciated. However I am also biased because for the past three or four summers I have worked on an archaeology project in the Taos area and we find so much of it.

Incised designs are carved into the wet clay. Usually, these are not painted. Incised pottery is very common on the Great Plains, but less so in the Southwest. The Northern Pueblos like Taos and Picuris, however, has long-standing interactions with Plains groups, trading corn and buffalo hides, holding market days together, Picuris and Taos people fleeing the Spanish invasion to live in Kansas with their Apache allies. This is also visible in the sharing of pottery styles in the northern Pueblos, where incised ware is common. Parallel lines that mimic corrugation, chevrons, and herringbone patterns are common.

Plain Smudged

Reserve Plain Smudged, Mogollon Highlands, AD 600-1250.

As I described in my pottery jargon post, "smudging" is a method of getting that shiny black interior during the firing stage. During firing, different levels of oxygen will cause the minerals in the clay to turn different colors. An oxidized environment (high oxygen) turns iron-rich clays red; a recducing atmosphere (restricted oxygen) plus an infusion of carbon turns them black. To smudge a pot, the inside is polished, and then in the firing pit is covered with ash and charcoal. This puts a lot of carbon on the surface, and blocks the oxygen from reaching it. When the pot comes out of the fire, the part that was covered in charcoal will be shiny black. This was another pottery style particularly popular in Mogollon areas.

[trifoliate-undergrowth]

The thing about politics and administration changes are that they affect so many different branches of government. Personally I am at the moment sad about losing Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.

Deb Haaland is the first Native American Cabinet secretary, a 35th-generation New Mexican and an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna. She's especially passionate about environmental issues, climate change, healthcare for all and missing and murdered indigenous peoples. She created the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, an investigation of old boarding schools which came after the discovery of the mass grave at Kamloops. This would be "an effort to document known schools and burial grounds, including those with unmarked graves" and to, where possible, return remains to their families/nations. (x) She also created a new Missing and Murdered Unit to "pursue justice for missing or murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives" which has investigated 728 MMIP cases and solved 263 missing persons cases and 8 murders.

I'm currently a seasonal NPS employee so I've been getting weekly update emails from her office, and she includes her pronouns in her signature, which is encouraging to see. She also un-banned NPS uniforms at pride after there was a kerfuffle with that.

She's visited various corps and volunteer organizations (none that I was in. I'm not jealous!...), including Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps, shown here in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in Colorado:

She's rejoiced at fish progress:

(x)

(X)

And this is just an incredible picture:

(X)

She was present at Biden's historic apology for government-funded boarding schools, an apology which was suggested as part of the road to healing in the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative Investigative Report. This was also the first time a sitting president has visited Tribal lands in 10 years.

Secretary of the Interior is a president-appointed position and she will almost certainly be replaced in January. We got an email from her about a 'peaceful transition' which sounds like she knows she's on her way out. In the (paraphrased) words of my self-proclaimed moderate republican christian coworker, 'It's too bad, I liked her. Trump isn't going to want a Native American. He's going to appoint a middle-aged white businessman to maximize the profits of the National Park System so we can pay for ourselves and so he doesn't have to give us as much of a budget.' Everyone I've talked to has been sad about likely losing her as Secretary of the Interior.

Though many Department of the Interior employees will miss her and in my opinion the department will suffer without her, she'll still be around and now that I know she exists I'm going to make sure to follow her next projects, whatever those may be.

(X)

[vngndr]

happy Small Business Saturday to those that observe ✌️ i'm Eli, a queer disabled man living in Colorado currently trying to make a living off of my artisan work on my Etsy.

some of you may have seen it in the post about the new earrings in the shop yesterday, but on the Indigenous Day of Mourning, 100% of profits from all sales on that day are being donated to the Native American Rights Fund. if you missed that, though, don't worry - 25% of all sales from today (11/25) till December 5th will be split evenly between NARF and the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund. and that's 25% off of sales, not just profit - before expenses are even taken out, so more can go to a good cause.

i really wish i could give more from the shop, but as i said before, i am physically disabled and out of work as a result and right now, the shop is my only source of income. by shopping with me during this period, though, you'll not only be helping keep me afloat, but also supporting two incredibly important organizations in the fight for Indigenous rights.

check out the shop and pick up something today HERE.

[teamfreewill2pointo]

I have heard that both Jensen and Danneel are really digging Connecticut and their new home. I am curious what made them decide on Connecticut, as I thought Danneel’s ideal home would be Louisiana and Jensen has said his was a mountain home in Colorado. Maybe they tried Jensen’s, and Danneel’s too ( they rented an old home in NOLA while filming TW), and decided neither was ideal? Any thoughts? Glad they appear happy in CT. Note, I am a CT native, so a little biased.

I have also heard that they are enjoying their new home.

Now this is totally my bias, and they are very different people than I am, but I think it was about the connections and schools. I hear Danneel is very happy with the new school. My source didn't mention Jensen's opinion on it, but I assume it is the same.

I don't know much about schooling in NOLA and Colorado, but I do know Texas has a horrible reputation. Yes, you can pay for private, but CT has some very elite schools.

[wachinyeya]

https://ictnews.org/news/biden-designates-avi-kwa-ame-a-national-monument

Joe Biden designates Avi Kwa Ame a national monument

President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday Avi Kwa Ame as a national monument in Nevada, following up on a promise he made in late 2022.

Biden also declared a national monument in Texas and the creation of a marine sanctuary in U.S. waters near the Pacific Remote Islands southwest of Hawai'i.

Biden spoke at the White House Conservation in Action Summit at the Interior Department with Fort Mojave Indian Tribal Chairman Timothy Williams commending him during his introduction.

“Under his leadership we have a seat at the table and we are seeing an unprecedented era and opportunity for our tribal communities,” Williams said. “And we are all grateful to the president for taking historic action to combat the climate crisis and conserve and restore our nation’s land and waters.”

Williams was among the proponents to make Avi Kwa Ame, also known as Spirit Mountain, a national monument. It’s considered sacred to the Mojave people and for the nine other Yuman-speaking tribes along the Colorado River, as well as the Hopi and Chemehuevi Paiute tribes, Williams said.

The site in southern Nevada spans more than 500,000 acres near the Arizona and California state lines. It’s home to bighorn sheep, desert tortoises and a large concentration of Joshua trees, some of which are more than 900 years old. It’s also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It took more than three months for Biden to make the announcement.

“It’s a place of reverence, it’s a place of spirituality, it’s a place of healing and now it will be recognized for its significance it holds and be preserved forever,” Biden said. “I look forward to visiting it myself.”

He thanked Williams and the legislative leaders who advocated for Avi Kwa Ame including Nevada Rep. Dina Titus, Democrat, who sponsored a bill to protect the rugged region near the Mojave National Preserve from development, including solar farms and a proposed wind farm.

“To the native people who point to Avi Kwa Ame as their spiritual birthplace, and every Nevadan who knows the value of our cherished public lands: Today is for you,″ Titus tweeted.

The Honor Avi Kwa Ame coalition, which includes tribes, local residents, state lawmakers and conservation groups, said its members were "overjoyed" to learn the site will be a new national monument.

"Together, we will honor Avi Kwa Ame today — from its rich Indigenous history, to its vast and diverse plant and wildlife, to the outdoor recreation opportunities created for local cities and towns in southern Nevada by a new gorgeous monument right in their backyard," the group said.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland released a press release praising the announcement.

“I am grateful to President Biden for taking this important step in recognition of the decades of advocacy from tribes and the scientific community, who are eager to protect the objects within its boundaries,” Haaland stated.“Together with tribal leaders, outdoor enthusiasts, local elected officials, and other stakeholders, we will manage this new monument for the benefit of current and future generations.”

In Texas, Biden plans to create the Castner Range National Monument in El Paso. It’s the ancestral homeland of the Comanche and Apache people, and its cultural ecology is considered sacred to several Indigenous communities.

The designation will protect the cultural, scientific and historic objects found within the monument's boundaries, honor U.S. veterans, service members and tribal nations, and expand access to outdoor recreation on public lands, the White House said.

Located on Fort Bliss, Castner Range served as a training and testing site for the U.S. Army during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The Army ceased training at the site and closed Castner Range in 1966.

The Castner Range monument "will preserve fragile lands already surrounded on three sides by development,'' help ensure access to clean water and protect rare and endangered species, said Rep. Veronica Escobar, Democrat-Texas.

“The people of El Paso have fought to protect this for 50 years. Their work has finally paid off,” Biden said.

Biden designated his first national monument, in Colorado, last year. In 2021, he restored the boundaries for Bears Ears National Monument in Utah after they were significantly narrowed by President Donald Trump, a Republican.

In the Pacific, Biden will direct the Commerce Department to consider initiating a new national marine sanctuary designation within 30 days to protect all U.S. waters around the Pacific Remote Islands. If completed, the 777,000 square miles, southwest of Hawaii, will help ensure the U.S. reaches Biden's goal to conserve at least 30 percent of ocean waters under U.S. jurisdiction by 2030, the White House said.

Among Hawaiian state leaders, Biden thanked Native Hawaiian leaders who “worked tirelessly to protect our oceans. I want to thank you. I genuinely mean it, it wouldn't have happened without you.”

Biden also announced a series of steps to conserve, restore and expand access to public lands and waters across the country, the White House said.

The proposals seek to modernize management of America's public lands, harness the power of the ocean to help fight climate change, and better conserve wildlife corridors. Biden also will announce new spending to improve access to outdoor recreation, promote tribal conservation and reduce wildfire risk.

Bidden added he’s committed to working with tribal leaders and legislative leaders on bringing “healthy and abundant” salmon run back to the Colorado River system.

“There’s nothing beyond our capacity if we work together,” Biden said.

[revretch]

Revretch I am back with more made up bio questions, what would it take to make a beetle (true beetle!) to be like, a MASSIVE threat of an invasive species across all environments but its own native island? Basically I have this beetle that eats a lot, but on its own island this isn't an issue because the grubs are eaten up when they're still in the ground and population is kept low. I wanna know how I could make this the most fucked up invasive beetle possible because it's extremely useful for medicine which has created a black market for it, and I think as dungeon master I can have my players do a lil environment mission, as a treat for me

Well, it's not just a matter of how much it eats, it's a matter of what it eats. Any important crop--or several--being targeted by a particularly prolific beetle spells trouble.

The khapra beetle is one of the 100 worst invasive species in the world. It infests all kinds of grains, cereals, rice, dried beans, seeds, etc. etc. It can survive long periods without food or water, and is resistant to many insecticides. It can also cause horrible allergic reactions.

It's also a matter of how prepared the people in those environments are for it.

Before pesticides, boll weevils were a tremendous problem (and still are, though to a lesser degree). The effects of their devastation of cotton crops decimated much of the American South's economy and substantially altered American history. Even now, according to Wikipedia, 90% of Brazilian cotton crops are infested by them.

There's also the Colorado potato beetle. After WWII, nearly half of all potato fields in East Germany were infested by it. Again, pesticides helped. (Though, of course, at a horrifying environmental cost, but that's another discussion.)

So, really, you just need to figure out which crops are the lynchpins of your setting's societies, and have the beetle pull that out from under them. Being as invulnerable as the khapra beetle is a bonus. For extra tenacity, you could even make its diet as diverse as the mealworm's--they can get by on styrofoam.

[elbiotipo]

Are you familiar with the Salton Sea? Your post about the Colorado River reminded me of it, not only did US farmers steal an entire river from Mexico, they also ACCIDENTALLY created the largest lake in California from it, because of an irrigation canal flooding, and after only a few decades it started rapidly shrinking, exposing toxic dust and becoming hypersaline so all the life in it died and the whole surrounding area smells like rotting fish

Yes I am! It is one of the biggest enviromental disasters in the US, so big that it can be seen from space. It flooded several towns and a Native reservation. For a while, it seemed like it was an oasis on the area, people made resorts and even stars like Frank Sinatra visited it, until, just like scientists warned, the lake began to dry up, leaving toxic hypersaline dust (I also believe the mass use of agrochemicals in California's Central Valley accumulated there too) and one of the worst-smelling, most awful lakes in North America, which is contributing to pollution all over the region. The state of California spends millions trying to undo the damage but it continues.

One really sad but morbid thing is that birdwatchers used to visit it a lot, but since it's so hypersaline, the poor birds you see around are actually dying from thirst.

I also believe some scenography in Fallout: New Vegas was based on the Salton Sea, it's that kind of post-apocalyptic:

pretty sure my Courier walked by this exact same spot

Wikipedia has more info on it. It's only one of the multiple disasters by the mismanagement of the Colorado river.

[phoebeyates-archive]

location: providence peak + boulder, colorado

date: 25th august - 11th september 2023

(tw: mentions of anxiety, depression, panic attacks, violence/temper, destruction of property, toxic family dynamics)

It started with a cryptic text.

Call you Friday, coming from the woman who had been evading her daughter’s attempts at communication from the last few months. Phoebe didn’t think to believe it, though it made her head hurt slightly. But she kept her head down, focused on work, seeing her friends, ignoring the unhealthy amount of Nerds Rope wrappers in the trash. Stress eating was normal, she wasn’t going to feel guilty for that.

Then Friday came. And the phone rang. And her mom was on the other side, sounding rested and healthy and, to the ire of Phoebe who had spent a good chunk of her summer worrying, happy.

“Where have you been?!” Phoebe had demanded over her mother’s laissez faire “Guess where I am?!”

“Boulder!” She cheered, as the irritated brunette snapped “where?”, her heart immediately plummetting at the reveal.

“Oh,” All the bite in her voice suddenly ceded, and she sounded all but 12 again. “When did you, uh, get back?”

“About a week, hon,” Lisa said, either uncaring or unaware of her daughter’s deflation in mood. “I was going to get in touch sooner but we had details to sort.” It always irked Phoebe how her mom used faux-European pronunciation on words that didn’t need it.

“We? Details?” She asked, ignoring the tears in her eyes at the knowledge that her mom had been in fucking Colorado for over a week and only now got in touch.

“Oh, sweetie, it feels so wrong giving you this news on the phone but, Ian and I are getting married next Saturday. You’ll come right?”

“Ian? Who’s…in Boulder?” Phoebe was glad she had been lounging on her bed when the phone call came. If she had been stood, she probably would have collapsed by now. The room was already feeling a lot warmer, her chest beginning to heave as it seemingly struggled for air.

“Yes.” Lisa dragged the word out, breaking it into two syllables, and Phoebe could picture her there laid out on a sun lounger somewhere, clinging onto the sorority girl cheerleader persona ruined by her accidental not-quite teen pregnancy. “Phoebe, it’d mean so much if you come. You don’t even need to get a flight, it’s just Boulder.”

Phoebe felt like reminding her mom she had never left the city limits of Providence Peak but thought better of it, out of fear she’d be accused of being difficult. So instead she asked all the right questions; the address, how long she had to be there. Wedding theme. What Ian was like.

It would be cancelled anyway.

Except it wasn’t, and after getting time off approved by Asli, Phoebe packed a suitcase and prayed to a God she didn’t fully believe in that Earl would make it to Boulder without incident, wishing she checked the brake pads beforehand. The drive to Boulder was daunting, and she wished she told someone where she was going, what she was doing. How this town had been the furthest she had ever been from home.

It escalated with a sledgehammer to the wall.

Boulder had been a nice place, many similarities to Providence Peak whilst also having its unique identity. Ian seemed nice enough, but all of her mother’s boyfriends did at the beginning. But it was alarming to her how this man; pushing 60, widowed, no kids, was trying to speed up the process of the nuptials.

They had met in Germany, after Lisa ended things with her last boyfriend, Carl. He had been at the airport bar the day she was supposed to board the plane. He was the reason Phoebe looked foolish at 4am in the airport arrivals, with no one to collect. They had bonded over being Colorado natives unlucky in love, though Phoebe bit her tongue knowing full well Lisa had moved to Colorado for college, originally hailing from Utah.

What Phoebe didn’t bite her tongue about was her mother’s indifference to the hell Phoebe had been put through when it came to the house. How taking out a bigger mortgage to fund her lifestyle had Phoebe struggling to pay the bills, on top of trying to control the heaps of debt the house was in. How the bank has given her a grace period to come up with the money or sell it herself, but she didn’t have the former, or the time or money for the latter.

The argument escalated, and Phoebe may have called Lisa a bad mother. And Lisa may have called Phoebe a deranged selfish brat who constantly made everything negative and ruined her life. And then Phoebe drove back to Providence Peak, sardonically wishing Ian the best and definitely telling her mother to royally fuck herself.

She couldn’t remember getting back to the house, she couldn’t remember drinking a full bottle of wine, and several shots of Scotch from a bottle tucked into the back corner of the otherwise empty pantry. She couldn’t remember grabbing the sledgehammer from the toolbox and swinging it wildly, screaming until her lungs gave out and she collapsed in a pile, sobbing uncontrollably, voice hoarse and throat raw.

When she came to, when she saw the damage that had been done, she felt the guilt and shame wash over her for what felt like a full day. She knew she couldn’t stay here, for a myriad of reasons. And she debated calling someone. Aslihan, Sage, Nadia. But she didn’t want them to see this, to show them the real her: violent, out of control. Deranged. Pathetic.

So instead, she stepped through the mess in a haze, grabbing the unpacked suitcase that stood abandoned by the door. And left it behind.

Phoebe debated getting a hotel in town, changing her mind on the off chance she’d bump into someone she’d know. Opting for a motel just outside city limits, she decided to camp out there for the remainder of her paid vacation, to just think of what to do with the mess she had made.

Her fingers were all cut and bruised. Even her face managed to get caught from the debris falling around her as she swung at the walls and the tacky furniture that sat in her living room for over 20 years. It wasn’t anything major, superficial damage at best. A scratch on her cheek that was no bigger than a dime once she scrubbed the dried blood from her face. It’d be gone by next week.

She just wished she could say the same for the loneliness and anxiety that clung to her like a spider web as she laid in the uncomfortable motel bed that night.

It ended with a morning alarm clock.

Her first day back at work. Her first day back in civilization. Her first day back at the ruins of her childhood home.

And Phoebe Yates would do what Phoebe Yates did best.

Survive.

[xtruss]

A new national monument adjacent to the Grand Canyon will honor tribal history and protect important habitats. Photograph By Pete McBride, National Geographic Image Collection

1 Million Acres of ‘Sacred’ Land Near Grand Canyon Are Receiving New Protections

The designation of the land as a national monument, confirmed to National Geographic this week by the White House, will prevent new uranium mines and protect historically significant tribal lands.

— By Dina Fine Maron | August 8, 2023

The White House is set to declare today that nearly one million acres of public land adjacent to Grand Canyon National Park will become the country’s newest national monument. The move, first confirmed to National Geographic by the White House, will honor Indigenous homelands in northern Arizona and protect the site from any new uranium mining projects.

The site encompasses natural habitat for the critically endangered California condor, and it is an important watershed for the Colorado River, which provides water to 40 million Americans. It’s also habitat for desert bighorn sheep, and birds including the threatened western yellow-billowed cuckoo and the endangered southwestern willow flycatcher.

The decision by President Joe Biden is the culmination of a lobbying effort by a dozen tribes who have historical ties to the region and advocated for its monument status. It will be called Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument. Baaj nwaavjo (BAAHJ – NUH-WAAHV-JOH) means “where Indigenous peoples roam” in the Havasupai language, and i’tah kukveni (EE-TAH – KOOK-VENNY) means “our ancestral footprints” in the Hopi language.

The name generally translates as the Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.

“Being part of this announcement means everything to me,” says Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American cabinet secretary. “I am filled with gratitude for President Biden’s dedication to Indigenous peoples and his understanding of our unbreakable ties to our ancestral homelands.” (Haaland is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, which is not one of the tribes with ties to this site.)

“After the establishment of Grand Canyon National Park in 1919, the Havasupai people were driven out from their lands,” Haaland says. “Their story is one that is similar to many tribes in the Southwest who trace their origins to the Grand Canyon and the plateaus and the tributaries that surround it. These special places are not a passthrough on the way to the Grand Canyon; they are sacred and significant and deserve protection.”

The monument will include a variety of sacred sites including Red Butte, which the Havasupai people consider their birthplace and call Red Butte-Wii’i Gwdwiisa. They traditionally camped there in the wintertime, before they were forcibly relocated by the U.S. government.

“Our creation stories say Red Butte-Wii’i Gwdwiisa belongs to Mother Earth, and we believe if mining occurs there it will puncture the lungs of Mother Earth,” says Carletta Tilousi, the Grand Canyon tribal coalition coordinator and a Havasupai tribe member. “My family are descendants of the removal,” she adds. “My grandmother’s sisters, my aunts used to talk about how they were treated … One would always say they had guns pointed at them, so it was a very scary and hostile time for my people.”

The Making of a Monument

In April 2023 a coalition that included the 12 tribes with historic ties to the Grand Canyon unveiled their proposal for this national monument at a press conference where Arizona Senator Krysten Sinema and Arizona Representative Raúl Grijalva, both Democrats, also spoke in support of the initiative.

The Havasupai Indian Reservation in Arizona, which includes the Havasu Waterfall—part of the Havasupai Falls—is the current home of the Havasupai people. After the Grand Canyon became a national park, they were forcibly removed from their traditional homelands in the canyon and in nearby lands that will be part of the new national monument. Photograph By Mike Theiss, National Geographic Image Collection

The group invited Haaland to visit the proposed monument site, which she did in May. That visit, Haaland says, was “one of the most meaningful trips of my life.” She hiked to Supai, the capital of Havasupai Indian Reservation, and visited with the tribal council and chairman. She also hiked to some of the reservation’s waterfalls, where she says she immersed herself in the “sacred blue-green waters that flow from the spring-fed streams.”

“I witnessed the deep connection that the Havasupai people have with the land and the waters that have sustained them,” she says. The monument, “will honor and protect the ancestral homelands of 12 sovereign tribal nations, help address past injustices, and create an abiding partnership between the U.S. and the region's tribal nations in caring for these lands.”

“Our work for Indian country is far from over, but the progress we’ve accomplished under this Administration is historic,” she adds.

The White House proclamation creating the monument, which the president is expected to sign later today, will establish a tribal commission to provide guidance on the development and implementation of the monument’s management plan.

“These Special Places are Not a Pass Through on The Way to The Grand Canyon; They are Sacred and Significant and Deserve Protection.”

— Deb Haaland, Interior Secretary

Halting Mining Operations

The monument will be on federal public lands, and it will make permanent President Barack Obama’s 20-year moratorium on new mining operations in the area from 2012. Existing mining claims that predate the moratorium will remain in place, however, and the White House says that there are two approved mining operations within the boundaries of the monument which could still operate.

The legacy of uranium mining in the area has had significant health repercussions. Native people working in the mines during the Cold War-era uranium extraction heyday have had elevated cases of cancer and respiratory illnesses.

Data from the U.S. Geological Survey further indicates that there are multiple areas around the Grand Canyon where uranium leached into the ground water and rendered waters unsafe for drinking.

Any mining, according to tribal communities in the area, puts health, safety, and the environment at risk, and it compromises historic homelands, cultural and archaeological sites, and ceremonial lands.

Top: A group of Havasupai, whose reservation lies near the Grand Canyon, protest mine development in the area. Havasupai Tribe member Carletta Tilousi (second from right) says mines have poisoned waters in the region. Bottom: Decades of uranium mining around the Grand Canyon have impacted waters, local ecosystems, and historic tribal lands. Photographs By Pete McBride, National Geographic Image Collection

Arizona Representative Paul Gosar, a Republican, publicly opposed the new monument proposal before the announcement and said presidential declarations like this circumvent congressional authority. Uranium mining proponents have also opposed the proposal, saying this will be a missed economic opportunity for people in the area.

The Antiquities Act of 1906 authorizes the president to declare monuments on federal lands if they contain historic landmarks, structures, or other objects of historic or scientific interest.

“The Antiquities Act allows us to look toward the future, so if there are [mining] claims that were already made and perfected through the normal process, those would not be disrupted, and this does not impact private property at all,” says Brenda Mallory, chair of the U.S. Council on Environmental Quality.

The Grand Canyon, with its breathtaking views, is one of the most famous parks in America. It attracts about six million visitors each year. President Teddy Roosevelt, standing on the South Rim in 1903 proclaimed, “Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it.”

Mallory says that the landscape, species, and the type of ecology at the new monument are very similar to what visitors would see in the nearby Grand Canyon, but she also notes the important tribal history in the area. “It’s the Grand Canyon—extended,” she says.