His concerns were wide-ranging and he saw a pattern in all of these things. They stemmed from our American obsession with economic growth and our willingness to sacrifice our environment on the altar of consumerism. “The Gross National Product has been the Holy Grail,” he wrote in 1968, “and those economics who are its keepers have no understanding of the economics of beauty.” For Udall, the economics of beauty meant understanding the inherent spiritual and transcendent values of nature and refusing to sacrifice them for monetary ends. In fact, Udall practiced a “politics of beauty,” using the levers of government to protect our fragile planet and American landscape. His view of beauty was akin to the Navajo Indian concept of hozho, loosely translated as “walking in beauty.” It means more than just beautiful surroundings, though it does mean that too. But it also means a life of balance, harmony, right livelihood, fair treatment of others, generosity and gratitude.
While working on this film with my incredibly talented team, I’ve had the chance to meet many inspiring people, including Udall’s brother Burr, his sons Tom, Jay and Denis and his daughters Lynn and Lori, as well as his grandson Bryce. We’ve interviewed our new Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the first Native American appointed to that post. “I believe the politics of beauty is still with us,” she says. I’ve been further moved by former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and the only African American director of the National Park Service, Robert Stanton, who was first encouraged to become a ranger by Udall; Native American activists Rebecca Adamson, Tommy Rock and Karletta Chief; the remarkable Navajo artist Shonto Begay, whose paintings convey the concept of hozho; downwinder Mary Dickson; former Udall aide Sharon Francis; longtime friend Jack Loeffler and several prominent historians, philosophers and environmentalists.
We hope to premiere this film next year during Earth Week at the Department of the Interior Building in Washington DC, which has now been named for Stewart Udall. But we still need help and financial support to finish it and to set up public programs to reach people in their communities. If you are interested in helping, please watch our 12-minute sample video: Udall Sampler 12min.mov (vimeo.com) and visit our web page
at: Stewart Udall and the Politics of Beauty — Filmmakers Collaborative SF or email me at [email protected].
John de Graaf is an author, documentary filmmaker and environmental activist in Seattle, Washington.