Art and Activism with Amy Martin

Behind the Scenery

“It makes me want to work harder to protect it, just seeing both how alternatively resilient and fragile it is. I think the more I am connected, the more I want to work towards helping preserve it.”

How do you protect the places you care about? In this episode, Amy Martin explores how photography became her medium for telling stories and helping to protect the places she loves. See her work at amysmartinphotography.com.

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TRANSCRIPT:

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Hannah: It was one of my chaotic questions too. Amy: Oh yeah right, So wait what was the question so I can think about it for one second? Hannah: Yeah. Hannah: Welcome back to another fun conversation with Amy Martin. I'm Ranger Hannah, and if you haven't listened to the episode where Amy and I discuss her personal connection to the Canyon, I highly suggest you give that a listen, then listen to this. In this episode, Amy and I talked about her photography activism in the work she's done with Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni, Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. And at the time of recording this episode, it was not yet a national monument and became one, just about a week after recording this. So let's jump into the episode and learn more about Amy Martin's photography activism. Hannah: So I’m sitting here with Amy Martin and so excited because I love her work and I first learned about her last year when she talked here at Grand Canyon. And her work is specifically in photography. And I'm curious what drew you to photography? Amy: A few things I think did. I always was a very visual person growing up, and I thought everyone was, you know, as we do. When we’re you we think everyone thinks the same way we do. And so I would just stare at scenes and, you know, take in detail, and look at the light, and stare at people. laughter But so I did a lot of different visual art growing up, but my mom was an amateur photographer, and so she documented our life growing up. And I kind of took, you know, after her, I inherited her a little camera. Hannah: Yes! Amy: And just with my kind of fast paced life drawing kind of went to drawing and painting, went to the side. And it was amazing that there was this device that we were able to capture a moment of time in, you know, a millisecond. So yeah, that's really what started what drew me to photography. Hannah: I love it. So, when you got drawn into photography from when you initially started and the different projects you've worked at, how has your photography style changed? Amy: I feel like, that is a very good question, I feel like for the different projects that I do, my photography style changes kind of to meet the story. To either, I work a lot with different organizations, both environmental and social organizations, and so I feel like this style of photography, I try to kind of match what story these organizations want or the mood. Yeah. Over time, it's definitely got, I've gotten a lot more into documentary style photography. Hannah: So when taking a photo, what is the goal? Are you trying to tell a story? Catch a glimpse of many moments, or is there something else? Amy: Yeah, I think with the goals really, it's kind of twofold. And one is to really be true to this story. I think there's a lot of ethics involved in, you know, in good photography. And so I really try to be true to the story that's being told. And the second is I'm really trying to make a really compelling photo and compelling photos I think can have so much power. You know, for the good or the worse, but hopefully for the good. So, with these photos, we can you know, now we can share on so many different types of platforms and it far reaches, you know, to the end of the world. But if we take Grand Canyon as an example, if we have a really compelling photo of Grand Canyon that can create a connection for somebody, somebody who maybe has never even been to Grand Canyon, you know, and they can experience that beauty. And for me, if they can experience that, they have that connection. And then, you know, because I do so much advocacy work, then they can potentially become advocates, even if they have never walked the edge of Grand Canyon or seen it, you know, in person. They can they can connect with it. Hannah: Yeah Amy: I think that really is my goal. Hannah: So with connections, would you say that's how your work initially started as you were trying to form connections? Or when do you think you finally made the realization that you were helping connect people? Amy: Yeah, I think when the photographs are used in advocacy work, and that's what I do a lot with both social organizations and with environmental organizations, is, you know, if they are used for, you know, advocacy work, fundraising and volunteer recruitment, all of these different things, when those are successful, like I know that those photographs have connected with other people with a greater audience then could connect with them without, you know, actually being there. laughter Hannah: Yeah, it's really cool. I love, I just love being able to connect people and I'm excited that you use photography as that route. And so, you talk about how you've been working on different projects. And I'm curious because one of the projects that you're going to talk about here at the park. How did you get involved with the proposed monument Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni, the Grand Canyon National Monument? Amy: So I got involved with the monument proposal and, you know, documenting some of the different areas and activities on it through Grand Canyon Trust. I was asked. So, Grand Canyon Trust is acting as an umbrella organization for the proposal. Hannah: Okay Amy: And so they're working with the tribal coalition. Grand County Tribal Coalition, and dozens of other smaller organizations nationally and local, like to come together for this for this push. Hannah: Yeah. Amy: So, yeah, that's how. That's how I got involved in it. Hannah: Sweet. What experiences have you taken from working on Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument? Amy: So the experiences, I think the most important experiences that I take away from my time up there are the connections that people have to his land, to this landscape. And I had been in all three sections. So there's three different sections of the proposed monument. One is in the South on the on the Kaibab National Forest to the south of Grand Canyon. One to the east, kind of on the marble platform that is adjacent to Grand Canyon in Marble Canyon. And the other one is mostly up on the Kanab Plateau, which is out to the west. And so, these are very extremely varied landscapes. Hannah: Yeah. Amy: Yeah. Tall ponderosa forests on the south, too. Sage lands in the east and grassland in the west, all sorts of landscapes. But what really stuck with me was that through this process of photographing and getting to know people who have connections to the landscape is that there are very, there are many very different, very strong, very powerful connections to each of these areas. In the South there is the Havasupai tribe have one of their very important sites, cultural sites, Red Butte. The West, there are a lot of ranchers and hunters that have close ties to that that are also in support of the monument, which is very interesting, you know, because when you think about monuments, a lot of times ranchers and hunters are excluded. But this monument proposal is inclusive of bringing of allowing those activities to still happen on the landscape. And then in the east, the recreationalist have so much so many ties as well. Of course, there, you know, which I think has been overlooked for so long, are the ties that people have had even before this even for Grand Canyon was a park. Hannah and Amy: Yeah. Amy: So I think being a tribally led monument proposal is so important, Right? Because there has been such a long history of exclusion from decision making and leadership roles that that is something that I that I really support. And getting to know those ties so much more through this experience has yeah has really secured that in my mind. Hannah: So when taking all those different photographs and going to the different, the three different environments and learning about other people's connections, how did that make you feel? Amy: So working on the proposal and photographing the different areas and making these connections to all of these, you know, people who come from different backgrounds, who have deep and powerful connections to place. In one hand you know, it kind of feels like family, that there are people that have, you know, like me, strong connections to a place. And it also has felt, you know, it gives me so much respect. And I know that I will never have as strong of a connection to these places as people do whose ancestors have been here even before this land was a park and who have been here since time memorial. And so there are 11 different, you know, federally recognized Associated Tribes of the Grand Canyon, many of those with ties to these three different areas that are proposed within the monument and their culture is the landscape. Their language has been created with the landscape. Yeah, it's inextricably linked. So, you know, seeing that and hearing those stories has been really powerful and really beautiful. Hannah: So I know you've been involved with many different projects with Grand Canyon. So I'm curious how has that affected your overall connection to the canyon? Amy: Yeah. So, I think every different trip into the canyon, you know, you learn more. Hannah: Yeah. Amy: You know, and it has like I, it has so many facets. It's got thousands of side canyons and hidden gems and jewels everywhere. And so, you know, when I started, I started doing PSAR, so I was working mostly with visitors and then made my, you know, made my way down into the canyon working at one of the backcountry stations. And so that was, you know, a very intimate experience. And you're seeing the seasons change I was there from April to October. So you see, you know, these little minute changes that are happening down there, you know, that I don't think I would have been able to see if I just, you know, came in with so many times. And from there, you know, I started understanding, you know, all of these connections, like the water connection being on the river and really made me want to do more in conservation. And so then I went into the fisheries biology. And so, like, it's just been like these step stones, like getting deeper and deeper, Hannah: Yes! Amy: Not to be, not to make that analogy, the deeper you go into the canyon. But yeah, it's just it makes me want to, like, work harder to protect it, you know, just seeing both how alternatively resilient and fragile it is. I think the more I am connected, the more I want to work towards helping preserve it. Hannah: Is there any word of advice as being a photography activist and helping with these different projects that you would give to someone that is entering the photography field? Amy: Oh yeah, that's a good one. Yeah. You know, for me, I'm thinking what has really helped me has been thinking about these photographs not only in like two dimensional world, but, you know, doing your research and really understanding what you know, what it is you are photographing. So get, get really close to your subjects by understanding what it is, which story you do want to tell and getting close if it is the people spending time with them and really connecting with them. And if it's a landscape spending, you know, like as much time as you have out there experiencing it and seeing what kind of, you know, magic happens instead of just going out looking for that one photograph, It's more of a, it's more of this long process of like getting close to getting close to your subject. Understanding, you know, researching. Hannah: I love it because all of this comes back to different connections. And I appreciate that you use photography and I appreciate you taking the time to sit down and talk about the different topics we've talked about today. Thank you so much. Amy: Thank you so much, Hannah. I feel very lucky to be here. Thank you so much. Hannah: Yes! Hannah: I can't express enough how grateful I am for my time to chat with Amy Martin about her work and her being down to just go with the flow as I came up with new questions on the spot. Thank you, Amy, for matching my chaotic energy, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work. We gratefully acknowledge the Native peoples on whose ancestral homelands we gather, as well as the diverse and vibrant native communities who make their home here today. Amy: Can you cut that out? Hannah: Yeah, I can cut it out. laughter