The Power of the Appalachian Trail: Reimagining the Nature

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The Power of the Appalachian Trail: Reimagining the Nature THE POWER OF THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL: REIMAGINING THE NATURE NARRATIVE THROUGH AUTOHISTORIA-TEORÍA A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF MULTICULTURAL WOMEN’S AND GENDER STUDIES COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES BY PAMELA WHITE WOLSEY, B.A., M.A. DENTON, TEXAS MAY 2020 Copyright © 2020 by Pamela White Wolsey DEDICATION For Earle ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To Mom, Dad, Tina, Maxine, and Reba, your unconditional love and continued support does not go unnoticed, and I am so fortunate to have each of you in my life. To Medeski, Edie, and VL, as well as the rhodies, mountain chickens, and wood thrush, thank you for sharing your spirit and teaching me the joys of interspecies relationships. I cannot express enough gratitude to my committee and committee chair, AnaLouise Keating, for her guidance and inspiration. You made a profound impact on my personal and professional growth. My heartfelt appreciation is for my husband and hiking companion, Josh. Thank you for the tears, beers, and encouragement both on and off the trail. The AT and the dissertation were both incredible journeys, and I look forward to our next adventure together. iii ABSTRACT PAMELA WHITE WOLSEY THE POWER OF THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL: REIMAGINING THE NATURE NARRATIVE THROUGH AUTOHISTORIA-TEORÍA MAY 2020 This study situates the Appalachian Trail (AT) as a powerful place connecting multiple communities with varying identities, abilities, and personalities, a place where we can consider our radical interconnectedness in a way that moves beyond wilderness ideology and settler colonialism through the construction of an inclusive narrative about experiences in nature. I engage in this work as a rejection of the oppressive ideologies that shape our wilderness narratives, and as a critical examination of the ways I perpetuate these ideologies through my actions as thru-hiker/scholar. The procedure for this study included the enactment of autohistoria-teoría, a method developed by Gloria E. Anzaldúa to process and theorize the divisions that mold our experiences. Out of this enactment developed (and continues) a deep understanding of how the spirit of nonhumans contributes to the language of place. Every place has a story to tell, one that includes the perspectives of all who have inhabited it, human and nonhuman. Like many stories, however, often, only one side is presented. The story of the AT is no exception. To enact decolonial transformation, I give you a magical account of my thru-hiker experience. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION .................................................................................................................. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. iii ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................v LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................vii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION: The Power of the Appalachian Trail: Reimagining the Nature Narrative Through Autohistoria-teoría ................................................................1 II. LITERATURE REVIEW: The Problem with Appalachian Trail Narratives: How Settler Colonialism Influences Experiences in Nature ...................................... 9 Settler Colonialism Defined ............................................................................... 11 Settler Colonialism and Nature .......................................................................... 14 How Settler Colonialism is Maintained ............................................................. 19 How Settler Colonialism Affects Experiences with Nature .............................. 24 Offering an Alternative: Inclusive Possibilities for Trail Narratives ................. 29 III. METHODOLOGY: Enacting Autohistoria-teoría: Following Anzaldúa’s Path of Conocimiento Along the Appalachian Trail ..................................................... 32 The Path of Conocimiento ................................................................................. 40 Stage One: El Arrebato ...................................................................................... 42 Stage Two: Nepantla .......................................................................................... 43 Stage Three: Coatlicue ...................................................................................... 45 Stage Four: El Compromise .............................................................................. 47 Stage Five: Coyolxauhqui ................................................................................. 49 Stage Six: The Blow Up .................................................................................... 53 Stage Seven: Shifting Realities .......................................................................... 54 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 55 v IV. RESULTS: Spirited Acts of Agency: Recognizing Nonhuman Trail Magic on the Appalachian Trail ........................................................................................ 57 Defining Trail Magic ......................................................................................... 59 Agency of Nature ............................................................................................... 63 Spirit ................................................................................................................... 67 Nonhuman Trail Magic ...................................................................................... 71 Conclusion ......................................................................................................... 77 V. RECOMMENDATIONS: Lessons From the Collective: Gaining Knowledge From the Languages of Place ....................................................................................... 79 A Lifetime of Rhododendrons ........................................................................... 87 Billions of Cicada ............................................................................................. 90 Forty-eight Gray Squirrels ................................................................................. 93 Surprises on Mountain Tops .............................................................................. 97 Conclusion ........................................................................................................100 VI. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: My Thru-Hiker Narrative: Taking the Decolonial Path Along the Appalachian Trail ..................................................102 WORKS CITED ..............................................................................................................106 WORKS CONSULTED ..................................................................................................115 APPENDIX A. AT GLOSSARY ....................................................................................126 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. First thru-hiker narrative ......................................................................................... 2 2. Stolen land ........................................................................................................... 12 3. Blood Mountain .................................................................................................. 19 4. Celanese ..................................................................................................................24 5. Research time .........................................................................................................50 6. Apple Butter’s trail magic ......................................................................................58 7. First campsite .........................................................................................................72 8. Peaceful co-existence .............................................................................................76 9. Catawba rhododendron ...........................................................................................89 10. Cicada ....................................................................................................................91 11. Kanille ....................................................................................................................94 12. Peter’s Mountain .................................................................................................. 99 vii CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION: THE POWER OF THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL: REIMAGINING THE NATURE NARRATIVE THROUGH AUTOHISTORIA- TEORÍA The AT, like so much in this world, is a story. It is a story that has been repeated so often, so vividly, and so convincingly that we have almost forgotten that it is a story. Benjamin J. Prince1 Narratives about the Appalachian Trail (AT) typically describe its vastness, significance, origins, and timelessness. The trail spans 2,190 miles through 14 states, passing through remote forests in some places and skirting the country’s most populated cities in others. Millions of people are drawn to the trail each year, where they find opportunities to experience encounters both with nature
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