Something very, very strange in these old woods

"There are many stories in Twin Peaks - some of them are sad, some funny. Some of them are stories of madness, of violence. Some are ordinary. Yet they all have about them a sense of mystery - the mystery of life. Sometimes, the mystery of death. The mystery of the woods. The woods surrounding Twin Peaks.

A poem as lovely as a tree: "As the night wind blows, the boughs move to and fro. / The rustling, the magic rustling that brings on the dark dream. / The dream of suffering and pain. / Pain for the victim, pain for the inflictor of pain. / A circle of pain, a circle of suffering. / Woe to the ones who behold the pale horse."

 - The Log Lady, Twin Peaks

I took these photos while I was home this weekend. I love this place so much, it's only a 30 minute drive from my house. It's a landscape featured in one of my favorite pieces of media, Twin Peaks. The setting is one of the reasons why I love this show so much, probably because it calls back to my home. I have a lot of very personal connections to Snoqualmie Falls that I don't totally know how to articulate. I'm still figuring that out. Here's some information from the Save Snoqualmie Falls movement happening now that I think is written in a format I'd like to follow while researching Monument Valley

SAVE SNOQUALMIE FALLS

Their Mission:

We believe it’s our responsibility to be good stewards of Pacific Northwest’s natural and cultural heritage. We must protect our clean water sources, our forest lands and our open spaces, and we must do so while respecting the lands deemed sacred by local Indian Tribes. While we support responsible economic development, we believe Snoqualmie Falls is for all people, for all time, and that developing the sacred land around it is irresponsible.

The History:

The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe has considered Snoqualmie Falls sacred—its a birthplace of creation. Mists from the thundering 268-foot waterfall carry prayers to the ancestors, and the Falls provide the gifts of food, water, life, health and healing. Today, the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe warmly welcomes all visitors to this sacred site to experience its power in their own way. The forest lands surrounding the Falls are also sacred. They are ancient burial grounds where the remains of generations of our people are forever resting. Modern times are taking a toll on this sacred site. In 1898, developers blasted away part of the Falls to install a hydroelectric facility inside the waterfall, diverting water to nearby turbines to generate electricity. The water flowing over the Falls is far less than what it was before the power plant came in. The hydroelectric facility is still a major detriment to the sacred waterfall, though it only accounts for one- percent of Puget Sound Energy’s electricity portfolio. In 1919, more developers built what is now the Salish Lodge (The establishing shot of "The Great Northern Hotel" of Twin Peaks) on the brink of Snoqualmie Falls. Ever since, it has been difficult to take a picture of the Falls without this enormous hotel. The hotel may provide spectacular views for the people who stay there. But for many others, it is an eyesore built upon the sacred source of all creation.

Now there are plans to develop the forest land just across the highway from Snoqualmie Falls. These burial grounds are slated to be bulldozed, paved over and developed into another subdivision with nearly 200 homes and other development. This controversial project has already begun with the construction of a new roundabout at the intersection of Tokul Road and Mill Pond Road. For years, the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe has opposed efforts to build the roundabout over this sacred area. Despite these efforts, heavy equipment moved in July of 2015 to uproot trees and pave the way for construction. The Snoqualmie Tribe supports responsible development and is a proud part of the local economy. But irresponsible development is another story. Developing sacred ground is irresponsible, and we will continue to fight it.

Save Snoqualmie Falls

For our Monument Valley project I'll be doing a similar thing as above. I'll be researching the histories associated with the land, especially the histories of indigenous people - the sacred, the spiritual, the mythology, etc. Land casts allegorical and historical shadows that are larger than the people that inhabit it. I feel like landscapes can be physical manifestations of the sacred, and the history of Monument Valley is so rich and vast that it will be worth knowing the things that make it up.