Sacred Land Speaks
Sacred Land Speaks
Podcast Description
Over four decades of filmmaking, we’ve had the honor of interviewing visionary Indigenous leaders, scholars and activists who offer soulful words on the kinship of humans and nature, the profound importance of protecting sacred places, and pathways toward global healing and reconciliation. In the editing process, we used many 30-second gems but left most of those interviews on the cutting room floor—until now! Sacred Land Speaks brings you extended interviews with some of our world’s most insightful thinkers.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast delves into topics such as the kinship between humans and nature, the protection of sacred places, and the pathways toward global healing and reconciliation. Episodes include profound discussions on the function of ceremony in communities, the implications of environmental degradation, and critiques of cultural appropriation, exemplified in interviews with figures like Vine Deloria Jr. and Florence Jones.

Over four decades of filmmaking, we’ve had the honor of interviewing visionary Indigenous leaders, scholars and activists who offer soulful words on the kinship of humans and nature, the profound importance of protecting sacred places, and pathways toward global healing and reconciliation. In the editing process, we used many 30-second gems but left most of those interviews on the cutting room floor—until now! Sacred Land Speaks brings you extended interviews with some of our world’s most insightful thinkers.
On the spring equinox in 1981, Toby McLeod interviewed the reclusive, rabble-rousing author Edward Abbey as the founders of Earth First! staged their first guerrilla theater, direct action at the much-despised Glen Canyon Dam. The footage was edited into Toby’s first film, The Cracking of Glen Canyon Damn—with Edward Abbey and Earth First!
In this episode of Sacred Land Speaks we bring you Toby’s interview with Abbey, and the dramatic tale of a real life Monkey Wrench Gang. Also included are highlights from Jessica Abbe’s 1985 interview with the renowned author, one of the few other on-camera interviews Abbey ever gave.
This episode was produced and written by Toby McLeod and Callie Shanafelt Wong.
Our interview and film footage of Edward Abbey was recorded by Randy Hayes, Glenn Switkes and Toby Mcleod. Jessica Abbe’s interview was shot by Jim Hurwitz. Our theme music was composed and performed by Stefan Smith and Charles Johnson. Audio sweetening by Leroy Clark at Sirius Sound.
We welcome you to download and play the podcast for personal use. You may not, except with our express written permission, reproduce, distribute or commercially exploit this copyrighted content.

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