YOUTH AND THE MOUNTAINS Student Essays on Sustainable Mountain Development Volume II 2014 Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief: Dr. David R. Connelly Design Layout Editor Kimberly Williamson Editors: Dr. Rusty Butler, Utah Valley University Dr. Mohammed El-Saidi, Utah Valley University Dr. Keith Snedegar, Utah Valley University Dr. Baktybek Abdrisaev, Utah Valley University Dr. Sara Ulloa, Utah Valley University Andrew Allen, Utah Valley University Jesler Molina, Utah Valley University Robin Bucaria, Copper Hills High School 801-863-8415 Published: December 11, 2014 Printed by Utah Valley University 800 University Parkway MS 187 Orem, Utah 84058 USA YOUTH AND THE MOUNTAINS Student Articles on Sustainable Mountain Development The following articles contained in this volume cover a variety of themes that focus on raising awareness of the importance of sustainable mountain development in the state of Utah and beyond its borders. Topics cover wom- en’s issues in relationship to Utah’s political climate, the im- portance of family farming for mountain communities; the impact of climate change on different mountain regions; and the environmental effects it has in North America as well as in South American regions. Youth and the Moun- tains, Volume II is composed of the research articles of students at Utah Valley University (UVU) and the winners of the Utah High School Essay Contest that was a contri- bution to the commemoration of the 2014 United Nations declaration of “International Year of Family Farming.” Our current publication continues UVU’s established tradition of engaged learning through complementing numerous practical actions and initiatives of the Utah International Mountain Forum, a coalition of its student clubs in the pro- motion of sustainable mountain development under the leadership of the Mountain Partnership that strengthens student’s research skills and potential. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction: Dr. David Connelly..............................................1 SECTION I: UNITED NATIONS POST-2015 AGENDA “United Nations Post- 2015 Agenda” Author: Jesler Molina.............................................................5 SECTION II: WOMEN & HERITAGE OF THE MOUNTAINS “Paving the Forbidden Path: Politically Courageous Women in Utah’s History” Author: Lisa Shepherd............................................................8 “History of Women in the Rocky Mountains” Author: Nanette Serrano......................................................17 “The Dark October Days of a Battle and a Massacre: Missourri, 1838” Author: Maika Buchmiller..............................................28 “Human Trafficking: The Slave Trade that Never Ended” Author: Tyler Brklacich..........................................................47 SECTION III: MOUNTAINS AND THE ENVIRONMENT “The Law of the River: Compromises, Compacts, and Regulations on the Colorado River” Author: Andrew Allen...........................................................57 “The Mountains of El Salvador: More than a Biotic Resource One Historical Legacy” Author: Jessica M. Rodriguez................................................70 “Peru’s Climate Changes” Author: Darren Fafai.............................................................79 “La lucha de los Andes: Desafios de los andinos para evadir la pobreza” Author: Fritz Culp................................................................90 “Soils and Climate Change in the Mountain Region of the United States” Author: Jeiser Molina........................................................99 SECTION IV: HIGH SCHOOL ESSAYS 2014 Winner: Brayten Torsak “Urban Agriculture”...........................................................109 2014 Second Place Winner: Withdrawn 2014 Third Place Winner: Maranda Fisher “No Food”.......................................................................112 1 INTRODUCTION During 2014, the students and faculty at Utah Valley Uni- versity (UVU) have gone to great lengths to maintain their high level of commitment to the study and promotion of sustainable mountain development. A coalition of student clubs at UVU, Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF) has also continued its leadership role in working with the Mountain Partnership under the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN), a coordinator of sustainable mountain development activities on a global level. The articles contained in this volume represent but a small part of the efforts that have been expended toward advancing mountain development as a unique field of study. Utah Valley University traditionally focuses on its mission of being a teaching institution based on a community engaged learning model promoted by Carnegie Endow- ment. To continue these efforts and engage our students in developing research and leadership skills, we have involved them in the United Nations initiatives to advocate sustainable development among mountain communities both in the Rocky Mountain region and globally. We think that through publishing our second volume of the journal that focuses on mountain issues will certainly help to pur- sue our goal of engaged learning. Throughout this year, students and faculty at UVU were able to contribute to the discussions taking place at the UN. Conversations focused on new Sustainable Develop- ment Goals (SDG) that will replace Millennium Develop- ment Goals in the fall of 2015, as the UN benchmarks its evaluation of human progress around the world. We also had an UVU delegation that contributed to the UN’s ses- sion on the Open Working Group (OWG) on SDGs as well as other sessions. The UVU delegation expressed their concerns about the importance of mountain indicators that should be included among SDGs. Therefore, it is import- ant that we include the statement made by Jesler Molina, President of the UIMF, during the 2013 OWG conference as the leading piece in this volume. During the year, UIMF had opportunities to host various mountain-focused events, which include the International 2 Mountain Day (IMD) celebration of the United Nations on December 11, 2014. This was the 5th annual celebration of IMD at UVU. This celebration has been a great venue to raise awareness among students, faculty and the local community about the importance of sustainable devel- opment for mountain communities. Each year, more and more people join the celebration at UVU and remember the mountain cause. Utah Valley University’s International Mountain Day 2014 was highlighted by contributions from a number of prominent institutions and members of the Mountain Partnership, including the Mountain Institute, Gruppman International Music Institute, City of Orem, as well as the famous mountain climber, Conrad Anker. Preparations are underway by the UIMF for hosting the Fourth International Women of the Mountains Conference that will be held October 7-9, 2015, in Orem Utah. For the first time, students will take full responsibility to host the conference and faculty will help them through advising. The organizing committee of the conference has been cre- ated and it mainly consists of UVU students. At the same time, we welcome any participation or contributions from students attending other schools in the Rocky Mountains region. We have heard from several student organizations from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah and Carroll College in Montana that have expressed an interest in being part of the organizing committee. We have includ- ed papers on gender issues and leadership among women in particular in this current edition as a way to initiate the upcoming conference. Sustainable mountain development initiatives at UVU have gone beyond the traditional gender focused activities, and have begun to focus on different aspects and challenges, for example, the mountains ecosystems. In this volume special attention is paid to the climate change challenges resulting in ecological concerns in the mountains and wa- ter management in particular. As we continue to expand our international focus, this volume features our first contribution written in Spanish. This contribution deals with climate change in the Andes Mountains. Additional contributions include the struggles in El Salvador’s with mountain development and global mountain concerns. Other articles focus on the impact of 3 climate change in the mountain communities of the Andes and Peru. In efforts to promote and educate about issues on sus- tainable mountain development, members of the UIMF worked with local high schools to educate students. We, at Utah Valley University, are proud to continue the tradi- tion of encouraging high school students to write articles on different aspects of the United Nations agenda. The United Nation declared 2014 as the “Year of Family Farm- ing.” To that end, the high school essay contest focused on family farming in mountain areas and articles of the winners will be featured in this volume. Passing the torch to the next generation of scholars and academics to con- tinue the furtherance of mountain studies is crucial to the preservation of sustainable mountain development as a field of study and the work done by these young students is remarkable. In our effort to expand the global cognizance in regards to mountain issues, we encourage students and scholars to submit papers related to sustainable mountain devel- opment and mountain issues for consideration in future volumes. Any comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Without further comment, the editorial board is pleased to present you with Youth and the Mountains, Volume