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Momaday's vivid descriptions of vast, sweeping vistas leaves the reader in awe of the majesty of the land. Charlotte England's article "Native American tribe vows to stop Donald Trump building Mexican border wall on their Arizona reservation" struck a chord with me as it reminded me of how vital the land was to Abel and his people. From the legends that are passed down to the oneness they feel with nature, the land is sacred and as such should be respected and honored as the sanctuary it is. The article speaks about the damaging effects the proposed wall will have not only on the wildlife, but also on the ceremonial sites that are irreplaceable and invaluable to the people who have relied on them for centuries. It is reassuring to know that the Tohono O'odham Nation will not stand by and be pushed around by the invading government, instead they are steadfast in their resolve to fight the desecration of their land claiming they would invoke a Standing Rock-style mass resistance if needed. I couldn't help but be reminded of Abel and his quest to regain his heritage, having lost it when he was swept up by the barrage of white washing, culminating in his fight and ultimately his killing of the Albino, the purest of the whites. This invasion of sacred land also harkens back to [/i]House Made of Dawn[i] as it is the land that dictates the actions of the Native Peoples, namely their measurement of time and the seasons of their rituals and hunts. In the end, I feel that Momaday has opened my eyes to the immense importance of Native American land and ushered in a new era environmental importance not just for the wildlife and environment but for the people who rely so heavily upon the land and all the magic and wonder it holds.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/native-american-tribe-stop-donald-trump-us-mexican-border-wall-arizona-reservation-land-tohono-o-a7549841.html

As both Dalton and Kayla mentioned, nature and the environment are of great importance to the Native Americans, much more so than many other groups of people, as Native Americans own the land that they live on. Unfortunately, people such as Donald Trump are set on creating things like walls and barriers to divide the people, and also ruin the land that is sacred to the Native American people. As Dalton mentioned, many Native American traditions are focused on a communion with nature and living in harmony with it, rather than trying to fight against it and destroying it to make way for new human developments. While taking this information in from the article, I was reminded of Green Grass, Running Water. King's novel highlighted just how much some people believe the native reserves and lands should be changed to make way for new ideas and man-made developments. One example is the few people in the novel like George who believe that the Sundance festival should be documented and made available to the public, even though it's part of a long-honoured tradition. Not even the natives who live on the land and attend the festival are allowed to take pictures or film the event, but he says that the people should get with the times, move into the current century. Another much more prominent example is the dam that is on a section of the native reserve, that the native peoples did not agree to, much the same way that this wall is being proposed. It's no secret that many whites and westerners are looking to change the traditional ways of the native american people, simply because they don't own everything when they feel like they should.