What I Would Like To See Happen To Our Land And People (1973)

What I Would Like To See Happen To Our Land And People by Loyal Jones The re-discovery of Southern Appalachia as a many-problemed area has resulted in a many-faceted conversation about what it is like and what should be done about it. There have been a rash of activities and proposals—ranging from the extremes of those who would move completely in the direction of mainstream America and those, disenchanted with mainstream, who would revitalize the mountain heritage as a alternative ; from those who would make compromises with the "establishment" and those who would kick out every foreign element and return the area to the people. Regardless of disagreement and the fact that not much of a permanent and self-sustaining kind has been accomplished, it seems very important to keep the conversation going. As our small share in this, in our off-handed way we have asked people of experience and concern to reply to this question: What would you like to see happen to our land and people? The answer printed here is the first received from this inquiry . However, Harry Browns "Appalachian Education" presents a very strong view, as does Jean Ritchie's "Bhck Waters," neither of which was the result of the inquiry. I would like to see our people become free again and with free choices, aware of who we are and why, and at ease with this knowledge. I would like for us to have rewarding work to do, with income for those of us who cannot work. I would like to see us in control of our lives and the land around us. I would like to see a restored and revered land. Indulge me a brief look at the past. We have always been an independent people, bent on complete freedom—mainly freedom from the establishment which we saw as untrustworthy a long time ago. We gambled almost everything else on the wish to be free, the truth being we tried to save ourselves, our freedom, by withholding ourselves even as we knew that Jesus was right: we save ourselves by losing ourselves, at least a part of ourselves . There it is; we tried so hard to be free, that we ceased to be free. That is the tragedy of Appalachian people. The establishment that we had fled moved in on us as we sat in our solitude and freedom and boxed us in. But while we were free we could afford to be hospitable and generous. We sold the land we didn't need and the mineral rights and rights-of-way to the entrepreneurs, and we gave our songs and tales and thoughts to the engaging and enraptured souls with notebooks and tape recorders. It had all come to us easily through land grants, squatter's rights, inheritance, or tradition, and so we passed it on, flattered that well-to-do folks liked what we had. You see, broad-form deeds and copyrights are pretty much the same thing. Profit or fame or both went to those who came 22 with the engaging smiles. But we didn't mind too much; we had our tradition and solitude and freedom. Then one day we knew we were no longer free but in fact captive, our land tied up with nefarious deeds and laid waste in ghastly manner, and we ourselves demoralized adding to the mess. Our essence was in copyrighted books, and strangers were singing our songs. Also, there were those we trusted because they were our people, from our counties or creeks, even our relatives, whom we elected to office and entrusted with the business we didn't want to fool around with. Some of them betrayed us too, robbed us by not managing the public business honestly, not giving our kids the education they deserved, riot enforcing the law, and worst of all not representing us as well as they did those who haul away the resources. So here we are, some of us making it and some not, none of us as free as we want to be, at the mercy of events around us. Our resources are going, largely untaxed , to keep the national...