Fading into the Horizon: the disappearance of Appalachian hollow communities and culture JESSICA GRENOBLE Savannah College of Art and Design

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1 are still left unanswered, the movement continues to thrive through social media and pop up demonstrations. While very adaptive, OccupyDC s next steps are anyone s guess. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: I would like to thank my Husband, classmates in the D.C. area, and my Professors at the Savannah College of Art and Design. You all have helped me stay strong, made me not give up, and believed in me even when I didn t. Thank you. Fading into the Horizon: the disappearance of Appalachian hollow communities and culture JESSICA GRENOBLE Savannah College of Art and Design The identity of an individual or community is highly dependent upon their cultural values and traditions. It is an industry that is causing the communities that occupy the hollows of Appalachia to lose these values and traditions. It has been found that the loss of cultural identity in Appalachian hollow communities is tied to local mountain top removal mining operations. Mountain top removal mining is the source of many jobs for these communities, but the mining process itself is causing environmental devastation and spreading disease through surrounding communities. This destruction has forced community members to choose between their health and their livelihood and is dividing the community into those who are for and against mountain top removal mining. This division of community goes against the traditions and values of the Appalachian hollow culture and is causing the eradication of communities, a lifestyle, a culture, and their identity. 342

2 Who are the people of Appalachian hollow communities? The communities in the hollows of Appalachia formed the very core of what it means to be an Appalachian. Almost all Appalachian traditions are derived from old hollow ways. Their day to day lives involve many challenges that people from outside their community might find absurd, as life would be much simpler if they just moved closer to the city. Most hollow dwellers prefer to live in their secluded valleys where a majority of community members families have made the area their home for many generations. In order to better understand why Appalachian hollow community members are who they are a bit of history is necessary. Appalachians were originally farmers and hunters that lived in small communities scattered throughout the mountains. Survival was difficult for them; every day was a constant battle to survive and lacking education and medical help. When coal in Appalachia was discovered the industry moved in rapidly. Coal companies promised a good life for families, with work that paid, education for their children, a town doctor, and a local store all in exchange for the family s land to mine. The Appalachian people had no idea what the coal companies had in store for them. With nowhere to go, and no way to get there the people of Appalachia became indentured servants to the coal industry. They were trapped by the power and the laws of the company community, and those who refused to conform were typically violently punished. The Appalachian people quickly became bitter to anyone that was not from within their own community; they learned to lean on one another and functioned more as a large family rather than as a community. These are traits that have been passed down for many years and still exist today. Destroying a Culture: Coal mining had a large EPIC 2012 Proceedings 343

3 part in developing the identity of Appalachian hollow community, and it is now what is destroying it. Although it has been around for many years, Mountain Top Removal mining techniques gained popularity in the 1980s due to the inexpensive nature of the process. The fight against Mountain Top Removal mining has been going on for quite some time, but little change has been made in the industry s course of action, which is to make more money. The Environment: The list of problems created for the natural environment surrounding a Mountain Top Removal mining site is endless. It is required that mining sites be reclaimed after their use, but it has been proven by experts that the reclaimed mountain top will take hundreds of years to thrive again. The air, soil, water and ecosystem have been beyond traumatized by this quick-money process of coal production. When overburden dirt is removed from the tops of the mountains to expose coal, which can be up to 400 feet beneath the surface, it is pushed into nearby valleys causing flooding through nearby hollow communities during heavy rainfall. This violent flooding has destroyed numerous homes, and killed some residents in the process. The Health of the People: Due to the toxins that are released into the air, and the poisoning of residents drinking water the number of cancers and other illnesses are significantly higher for those who live near mountain top removal mining operations. The number of deaths due to lung cancer is nearly double the national average. The rates for birth defects, respiratory diseases, and overall death by cancer 344

4 ratings are also significantly higher than the national average. Poverty: The poverty rate in the state of West Virginia is twice that of the national average. Coal mining is the only major industry in the region, and because of the advancement in technology and the use of heavy machinery not as many miners are needed to operate a mine. The change in population in the area surrounding a mountain top removal mine is very significant. The national average in population change by county from 1980 to 2010 is +36.3% in counties where Mountain Top Removal mining is present it is -20%. The biggest export from the state of West Virginia, second only to coal, is its people. Because of the destruction of their home, and no way to make a living the people of Appalachia are leaving. Dividing a Community: Those that remain in the hollows of Appalachia are slowly but surely departing from the ways of the traditional Appalachian people. The most important of these being the specific social structure that has been a part of the Appalachian identity for so many years. The basic concept behind this structure was surviving as one your neighbor is not just a neighbor, they are your brother and one of your own. Children were raised by the village, and all took a part in helping one another get by. Now, due to the problems caused by Mountain Top Removal, the community members are forced to choose between their livelihoods and their quality of life. This has caused a divide in the community and put community members against one another. This has changed the old social structure completely and has caused other social problems such as a sharp increase in the usage of drugs and the rise of crime. Creating a solution: Anywhere you go in coal country it is common to here the words coal is EPIC 2012 Proceedings 345

5 king. The industry has so much power in the region, and is so deeply inter-linked with the existing government, economy and people there really is no way to work against it. Which is why so many attempts at stopping the destruction of mountain top removal have failed. The only viable course of action is to create a business model that would assist companies that are mining coal for power to transition into a more renewable form of energy production. This type of plan would not only advance the industry forward in the development of renewable energy, but would create career and educational opportunities for the people of Appalachian hollow communities. Middle Perspectives: Lessons from a walk down the High Line ARVIND VENKATARAMANI SonicRim The High Line in New York city is an urban renewal project that has turned an old elevated railway line into an urban green corridor in Manhattan. I take a walk through the High Line examining the new perspectives it affords, and relates urban and environmental notions of renewal with questions of agency and appropriation. Along the way, the peculiar characteristics of the High Line highlight normally hidden features of the urban landscape; these revelations prompt questions on how the uses of the High Line might diverge from the original architectural vision, and suggest that it be also seen as a platform for renewal, and not just an outcome. A broader view invites speculations on new forms of commons. In an age where civic action is both so difficult and so necessary, a walk through the High Line suggests ways of approaching systemic change laterally. 346