“To me, that right there is just amazing!

 Knowing what it was before,

just  look what they’ve done.”  

Maria Gunnoe

Maria Gunnoe also appears in

“Rise Up! West Virginia”

“Look What They’ve Done”

   Maria’s Backyard

   Film Two of The Mountain Mourning Collection

An outing with Maria Gunnoe in Bob White, West Virginia, provides a snapshot of the Mountaintop Removal Mining that has moved into her back yard.  Filmmakers B. J. Gudmundsson and Doug Chadwick traverse the rocky road up Cazy Mountain to survey the aftermath of a strip-mining operation.  Maria’s Native American ancestry is revealed through her memories of family and their respect for the land.  Her story is one of courage and strength that is woven around the heart by musical recordings of her mother, father and uncle.

Run Time:  21 minutes

The “Mountain Mourning” DVD includes this film

 Order Now

Congratulations to Maria Gunnoe

Rainforest Action Network

“David & Goliath Award”

RAN Press Release

Maria’s house was built by her grandfather

in a beautiful setting in Boone County,

West Virginia.  Looking off of her front porch

one can see Island Creek Mountain.

This is what “Maria’s Backyard” looked like

when she moved into the house.

Sidewalk in front of Maria’s house.

Standing here one can look up at Island Creek Mountain. Each day, as the blasts continue, more of the mountaintop disappears.

In May of 2005, Maria looked down on her

“back yard” which is at the bottom left corner of the photo below.  This is what she saw.

 Flyover provided by SOUTHWINGS

Producer-Director

B.J. Gudmundsson

Camera

Doug Chadwick

Extra Footage

Allen Johnson

Photography

J. Henry Fair

Vivian Stockman

Special Thanks

Southwings

Music

Jean Gunnoe, Raymond Gunnoe,

Richard Gunnoe

“The Sun’s Coming Up in the Morning”

“Have a Little Talk with Jesus”

“What a Day That Will Be”

Dwight Diller from the “PAPA” recording

“Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down”

Read “My Life is On the Line” by Maria Gunnoe