Militias, Mormons and Malheur | 2016
On January 2, 2016, armed individuals broke into and occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge facility near Burns, Oregon. Initially sparked by protests over the arrest and conviction of private ranchers who ignited grass fires that burned federal land, the occupation grew into a much larger debate about the power of the federal government, land use practices, environmental conservation and racial inequality. Spring Creek Project partnered with OSU’s School of History, Philosophy, and Religion to host an interdisciplinary panel, “Militias, Mormons and Malheur,” that unpacked the history and context around this crisis as it unfolded and examined the cultural, political and social forces behind it.
Watch the “Militias, Mormons and Malheur” Panel Presentations
Part 1, “Malheur: Nature, Native Americans, and the Public,” begins with Charles Goodrich, a poet and the director of the Spring Creek Project, who gives a voice to the land and the animals of Malheur and discusses the Burns Paiute Tribe's response to the occupation.
Part 2, “Ranching and Federal Lands,” continues with Hannah Gosnell, an Associate Professor of Geography in OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, who discusses the history of land use in the American West and public lands ranching. Gosnell also explores current collaborative efforts underway between the BLM and western Oregon ranchers.
Part 3, “Militias, Republicanism, and the County Supremacy Movement,” continues with Steve Shay, an Adjunct Professor of History, who has done extensive research on right-wing militia movements in the western United States. Shay explores the idea of republicanism in the United States and its role in public controversies.
Part 4, “Worldviews and Religious Background of Malheur Militiamen,” wraps up the series with Courtney Campbell, Professor of Philosophy and the Hundere Chair for Religion and Culture, exploring the religious traditions and worldviews expressed by some members of the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom. Specifically, Campbell explores the Mormon relationship to the land and the U.S. Constitution, as well as several of the statements made by the militia that appear to have a poorly understood connection to Mormonism.