Prescott College Challenges Federal Rollbacks on Sacred Lands

For over fifty years, the institution has utilized the Colorado Plateau as an essential classroom, where students engage with ecology, Indigenous knowledge, and environmental policy through direct experience. Cecil Goodman, director of Adventure Education, emphasized that these regions serve as more than mere study sites; they are sacred spaces defined by long-standing relationships and reciprocity. The college maintains that the current erosion of federal oversight risks severing the connection between academic study and the preservation of ancestral territories.

Mike Riley, a faculty member in the Adventure Education department, echoed these concerns, stating that the health of these monuments is inseparable from the college’s educational mission. To counter the recent administrative shifts, the college is urging its students and the broader community to advocate for science-based conservation. They recommend supporting the Outdoor Alliance, engaging directly with Inter-Tribal organizations, and maintaining active communication with elected representatives regarding federal land management decisions.