PULSE
APRIL 29, 2004
more than a treesitter
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Julia Butterfly Hill, famous for her
two-year treesit in a redwood, will
speak at the McDonald Theatre
By Aaron Shakra
Pulse Editor
Julia Butterfly I lill is probably one of
the world's most famous environmental
activists, best known for her 738-day
tree-sit in Luna, a 1,000-year-old red
wood in a California forest. However,
she has not become complacent. 1 ler
organization, Circle of Life, was found
ed in 1999 with the stated goal of inspir
ing, supporting and networking individ
uals, organizations and communities to
create environmental solutions with
respect for the interconnectedness of all
life. Hill has further championed envi
ronmental activist causes through her
public appearances, lectures and audio
recordings.
I fill is the author of two books: "The
Legacy of Luna: The Story of a free, a
Woman and the Struggle to Save the
Redwoods" — a biographical account of
her treesitting experience — and "One
Makes the Difference: Inspiring Actions
that Change Our World." In addition,
she has been featured in the documen
tary " free Sit: The Art of Resistance." She
was the keynote speaker for April 2l's
Larth Day festivities on campus, and she
returns to Eugene for tonight's perform
ance with The Everyone Orchestra (see
further coverage on page 7).
Emerald: What do the words "direct
action" mean to you?
Julia Butterfly Hill: Every time we
make a choice, it is a direct action on the
planet and on people's lives. And we've
been conditioned into forgetting that.
It's about becoming aware of the fact
that every time we make a choice, it has
a direct action.
The problem is, in this country we're
separated from the consequences of that
action that we don't see it as a conse
quence of that action. So, if 1 use a dis
posable cup, it has made a direct action
on energy use, on the water use, on
water pollution, on raping of land. 1 see
even in the movement that is under
stood as a direct action — the move
ment of people locking down and peo
ple doing tree sits, and those kind of
things — so many unconscious choices
happening within that movement. We
need to reawaken to that, we need to
reclaim that and we need to start look
ing at all the ways in which we are hav
ing a direct action on this planet and on
the people on it.
Emerald: What is the connection
between art and activism?
JBH: Art is about creative expression
— therefore, it's about life. The connec
tion between art and life in all of its
forms is as diverse and amazing and full
of possibilities as life is. So, art and
activism is about finding creative ways
of expressing our connection to life.
That's what activism is about. And so
often, activism becomes entrenched in
anger, and frustration, and how every
thing's wrong with the world, and it
comes across as very negative and very
self-righteous. I think the beautiful thing
about art and activism is that it tends to
take down those walls, it puts us on a
level playing field again, and it invites
people to hear what we have to say and
to think in a new way
Emerald: Will you ever sit in a tree
again?
JBH: (Laughs) I sit in trees all the time.
But if you're asking if I'll ever sit in a tree
again as a form of protest, I get asked that
question a lot, and I absolutely would if I
thought it would help. But one of the
things I've noticed about this media-driv
en culture is that it creates false realities,
and even though I sat in a tree for two years
and eight days, I still have to prove myself
to people, if 1 were in it for myself, I would
have come down after a hundred days.
That's when I broke the international
record, and 1 could have come down and
went to 1 lollywood and hung out with fa
mous people. If 1 did another tree sit again,
the media would just be, "Oh see, she just
stopped getting press and now she wants
press for herself again, so she climbed an
other tree." It would end up hurting the
movement instead of helping it. So 1 con
tinue to remain involved in tree sits. I've
done resupplies for tree sits, and my organ
ization, any time we get any information
from the front lines on tree sitting we send
it out to our network and let people know
what's going on.
In California, I've been working on a bill
Turn to BUTTERFLY, page 8
CONTENTS
> . 4
^ Travel Features
i Swimsuits optional 6 Everyone Orchestra 7
iFun on the rapids 6 Iraq protest 9
+ Ron Jeremy 12
Columns
Out of range 10
Budget rack 10