The National Parks:
Concerned Citizens
One of the
main things that stuck out to me during our readings and viewings was that the
people referenced could be anyone: despite money or background. Brad Barber’s documentary of a humble sheepherder
from Iron County Utah is a great example of this. This under-the-radar citizen may not have
been out to save the world, but he was firm in his beliefs and practices of
saving a little bit of his world from the rest of it by respecting and
appreciating the culture of the land.
Bilin’s
reenactment of popular characters from Avatar
during a riot over land was a clever way of sending a powerful message to their
oppressors—in a permanently marking way.
Countless protests have been fought in that area over land rights, but
this time some concerned citizen had the idea to use popular media to their
advantage—whether their reasoning was justified or not. The protestors needed something more than
just a few picket signs, megaphones, and the occasional smoke bomb. They needed a creative channel to convey
their message, and they found a way to do so that many people would be able to
sympathize and also empathize with.
Liz and I
were blessed with a connection to Brady Parks; lead singer of the local band
The National Parks. I’d never heard of
the band before, but my friend said that they donated a portion of their
proceeds to the National Parks Association.
A few phone calls later and Liz and I were on our way for a
Q&A session with Brady. It was apparent right off the bat that
Brady was a humble, down-to-earth guy who didn’t give himself any more creds
than just a normal guy trying to make it and make a difference doing the thing
he loves. Turns out, the band and even
band name existed before the idea to donate to national parks (National Parks
being a play off of Brady’s surname). A
documentary was being filmed to raise public awareness about conservation and
Brady and the gang were contacted to write the theme song for the
documentary.
One thing
led to another and the idea was passed out that the proceeds of the single
should go to benefiting the parks.
People loved the idea and the song was professional and fun. The song soon went viral over the internet
and within twelve hours, it had reached the top forty list on iTunes. The National Parks (the band, I know, it gets
confusing writing about it) are not sponsored by, or directly affiliated with
the National Wildlife and Conservation group: it was just a one time trick that
did a great job acting as a channel for Brady and the band to gain some
positive recognition—which played well with their band name.
Brady says
that the band does not dedicate all
of their proceeds to the parks conservation fund, yet the group is currently
working on some new material and outlets that follow in the same vein as their
first big fundraiser. Visiting national parks has always been a part of the
National Parks’ lives, and they couldn’t imagine a world without them. Their
small contribution—made in their own creative way— is something that they are
rightfully proud of and aim to continue pursuing.
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