Alexis Krauss Releases New Benefit Single “Our Land” For National Parks And Monuments Protection
Sleigh Bells’ Alexis Krauss has released a new song called “Our Land” in order to raise awareness of the new administration’s attack on this country’s national monuments and parks. All proceeds from the song and related merchandise will go to fund Utah Diné Bikéyah’s effort to reinstate protection for the Bears Ears National Monument. An accompanying video features appearances from a number of notable musicians, including Karen O, Animal Collective’s Geologist, Maggie Rogers, Miya Folick, Sunflower Bean, Edward Sharpe, Tunde Olaniran, and A Place To Bury Strangers, as well as a ton of activists and members of the outdoor community. Listen to the song and watch the video below.
Here’s a statement from Krauss:
Inspired by my love of wild spaces and in response to President Trump’s assault on our national monuments, I wrote ‘Our Land’ as a protest song. The song led to a collaborative recording session and quickly developed into a film project, in partnership with professional photographer/producer Chris Vultaggio. Chris and I set out for Utah in efforts to expand the project and tell the story of Bears Ears and its people.
From deep canyons to towering mesas we were captivated by the overwhelming beauty of these threatened lands. However, the struggle is about more than just protecting breathtaking views, it is about respecting and conserving thousands of years of Native American history and culture. These lands are sacred not just because they are rich in archaeological heritage, but because they are a living breathing landscape actively relied upon as a source for sustaining a way of life: food harvesting, medicine gathering, grazing, wood hauling, spiritual healing, and communing with ancestry.
The current administration sees fit to trade these lands for resource extraction. Native communities are contending with yet another threat, not only to their lands but to their health, well-being, and way of life. This is but one more humiliation to bear by an already beleaguered people, sadly all too familiar with systemic abuse and institutionalized exploitation.
We’ve joined this cause to support those on the front lines of this fight and to amplify the millions of dissenting voices that are already shouting to be heard.
You can buy the song and an accompanying t-shirt here.