Sanctuary for all life
What does "sanctuary for all life" mean to me? It is a phrase you will inevitably hear if you hang around Cascabel long enough. It became the title of noted Cascabelian Jim Corbett's final work published after he passed away a couple of decades ago. But even while reading that work I had to keep asking myself, "What does that really mean?" "How does it relate to the basic tenets of nature?"
For me, I find myself looking back to what Jim Corbett is most publicly known for to define the word "sanctuary": the Sanctuary Movement of the 1980s. Much has already been written about that time and Corbett's inspiration and philosophy that provided the foundation for that movement (see Resources at the end), so I am only going to touch on what stands out for me.
Corbett's intimate knowledge of the lands and people of the American Southwest and Central Americas came from his interest in wildland pastoralism, specifically goat trekking, or goatwalking (which became the title of his first published book). Mix that with his Harvard education in philosophy and his interest in the mystical experiences of times like the Exodus and other desert cultures, and Corbett came up with a very different ethic about land management then you see emerge from the mechanisations of technocratic society.
When directly faced with what he saw as the injustices towards people of Central America, specifically El Salvador, due to actions by his own government in the 1980s, Corbett helped start an interdenominational coalition of religious organizations to provide those seeking refuge a channel for legally applying for asylum by circumventing the road blocks that were intentionally erected to prevent them from attaining their goal. This was done by providing sanctuaries for folks to land and helping them safely get the guidance needed to navigate the complicated system.
The sanctuaries provided were not luxury resorts where all their needs were taken care of. Life was still hard and uncertain, but they were partially shielded from the machinations that could ultimately make life impossible.
Ultimately, Corbett left the Sanctuary Movement to return to his interest in developing a post-technocratic land ethic, applying what he learned from his time in the movement. Once again, he formed a coalition of folk with different interests, many coming from Sanctuary, to apply the concept of sanctuary in a broader perspective. An opportunity in a remote area east of Tucson to purchase land for cattle grazing which opened up the ability to purchase state grazing leases on adjacent lands became the spark. A small herd that limited pressure on the land was put together via shareholders and so, the experiment began.
These efforts led to the creation of the Saguaro Juniper (SJ) Corporation and the Cascabel Hermitage Association (now the Cascabel Conservation Association (CCA)) as well as the
Saguaro Juniper Covenant, which begins with: "In acquiring private governance of land, we agree to cherish its earth, waters, plants, and animals in a way that promotes the health, stability, and diversity of the whole community."
The strictest version of sanctuary is captured by the covenant and is applied to the lands owned or leased by SJ and CCA, but there are gradients of sanctuary that exist throughout the valley. The result is a mostly intact corridor of public and private properties that connects the mountain ranges to the west and east of the Middle San Pedro River, right through central Cascabel, Arizona. The biggest obstacle is the wide main dirt road that bisects the valley. Its current relatively-low usage is its only saving grace.
As is, these lands are a sanctuary from the sterilized world of mechanized technocratic society. They provide a land where wildlife is less managed and allowed to find its own balance. Where predators are as valued as prey. Where it is recognized that "pests" are created by us managing environments through the elimination of natural predators, creating an overabundance that is out of balance with nature, or constructing scenarios that are naturally attractive to those we weren't intending to invite.
Sanctuary isn't just for wildlife. Many people have lived in this valley over the centuries. There were times when it was far more populous. Many now come here to find a different way of being in the world than how the modern economy demands us to be. Some lived through very traumatic times and need this sanctuary to find a semblance of peace. Others aren't able to tolerate the chemical world of modern society. And there are those of us who find a more nuanced perspective on life in a place like this. The CCA's Hermitage Program provides opportunities for those of any financial means the opportunity to step back into a minimalist way of life that allows for attentive stillness and the ability to reconnect with one's self and the land, if for only a short period of time.
So, what is "sanctuary"? It isn't a place where lions and deer are playing Pinochle together. As I was writing this piece I was almost run over by a turkey being chased by a coyote. The turkey was not having a peaceful morning and it is likely that some of her young became breakfast. Yet it is a place where the turkey and coyote populations have an opportunity to find a balance without having to deal with the out-of-balance encroachment of modern human society. (For those concerned, I did see the turkey eventually call in four or five of her young that were able to evade the yote. I have to say, though, that the coyote looked skinny and desperate and probably could have used a turkey breakfast.)
Life is challenging in this land, for wild and not-so-wild life. Once we start the destruction of the lands that provide this Sanctuary for All Life by building monuments to a modern technocratic society that is fully out of balance with the world it inhabits (such as 500+ miles of transmission lines), where will it end? For the fight to save this sanctuary is not just about the initial projects, but about all the projects that will follow once the precedent is set. Change is inevitable, but it needs to have balance. It needs to recognize the inherent value of these lands to the longevity of all species that find sanctuary here, including our own, and not be sacrificed to short-sighted mechanisations.
Resources:
Helping the Valley
Updates on the legal challenge to the Arizona Corporation Commissions permit for the SunZia / Pattern Energy Transmission Lines can found on the Cascabel Working Group's website.
Despite the stories that everything has been approved and work will now proceed, the legal challenge is still moving forward and is being supported through this GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/xrb8y-protect-the-san-pedro-river-valley There are also challenges by local tribes and Archeology Southwest who claim that historical sites are not being considered in the routing of the transmission lines.
In response to all of the stories about how hard it has been for this project to get approved, all I have to say is: "Shouldn't it be hard to build through the last few unfragmented wildlands left in our country? Isn't it interesting that other projects that rerouted around sensitive areas were approved in half the time?" Don't let the whining further degrade the protections we have for what is left. Unfortunately, the recent Debt Ceiling Bill may have already done so by gutting NEPA.
Thank you for caring. |