1 A GATHERING STORM

Father-son ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond face prison for arson on federal land in late 2015, capping a decades-long feud between the duo and land management agencies. Challenging their fate, anti-government activist Ammon Bundy and armed militia supporters arrive in Burns, Oregon, threatening Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward with insurrection if the Hammonds are incarcerated. Bundy, widely known as a right-wing provocateur, divides opinion in the tight-knit frontier community. At the dawn of a fraught 2016 presidential election year, a rally supporting the Hammonds morphs into an armed takeover of the nearby Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, launching a historic siege.

2 HOW THE WEST WAS WRITTEN

As the Malheur occupation monopolizes international headlines, a dive into regional history reveals layers of bitter conflict over land and identity. The Burns Paiute Tribe, called the Wadatika, endure military encroachment and a 350-mile evacuation on foot during 1879’s brutal winter. Survivors returning home are landless and face bigotry—but the Tribe persists, achieving federal recognition in 1968. Meantime, skirmishes between settlers and cattle barons often end violently. 20th Century federal agencies reshape use of the public domain, but environmentalists soon challenge “cowboy culture.” Bundy’s strongarm tactics exploit old wounds, and Sheriff Ward grapples with the West’s newest battleground.

3 FRUSTRATIONS, OLD AND NEW

With a population of 7,000 in a county the size of Massachusetts, prospects soar in 1930 when Edward Hines Lumber Company arrives to exploit rich timber resources, bringing unprecedented wealth to the modest community. But changes in government environmental policy cause the mill to shutter, devastating the county. Grievances around government fester for decades. In 2016, Ammon Bundy’s pitch to dismantle federal agencies wins broad support. Community meetings reveal deepening discord, but growing opposition to the occupiers’ presence now galvanizes fearful residents toward vocal unity. Law enforcement strategizes a peaceful resolution amid concerns conjured by Ruby Ridge and Waco.

4 WATER IS FOR FIGHTING

The occupation draws focus to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge itself. Created by President Roosevelt in 1908, the refuge protects critically endangered wetlands for migratory waterfowl traversing continents—but it’s also ground zero for modern disputes. The adage “Water is for fighting and whiskey is for drinking” symbolizes local work to overcome entrenched battles between bitter adversaries—including the Hammonds. Ranchers, conservationists, and government agencies forge a fragile alliance here...until the Bundys arrive, placing these efforts at risk. But three weeks after the takeover, the occupiers face an intrepid band of challengers, wielding signs and advocating debate over arms.

5 THE RUBICON

Attempting to reinforce their anti-government stance, Ammon and Ryan Bundy and several others announce a trip to meet in nearby Grant County, but they’re intercepted by law enforcement on a snowbound forest route. Speeding to evade arrest, occupation leader LaVoy Finicum is killed by state police. Terrified occupiers flee the refuge, leaving four holdouts. A tense standoff threatens violence, and Finicum’s “martyrdom” sparks calls for revenge. Amid chaos, a throng of locals protects the courthouse from seizure in a cathartic rally of raucous 1stAmendment expression. The cloistered holdouts negotiate with FBI agents, as a livestreamed broadcast draws 70,000, worldwide.

6 RECLAIMING AND RECKONING

Peaceful surrender prompts “Hallelujahs” from FBI agents and emotional responses from Sheriff Ward, the Harney County community, and all transfixed by the 41-day ordeal. Twenty-six occupiers are indicted, fueling protests in Portland and beyond. Visitors flood to Burns to celebrate the massive influx of migratory birds. Spring brandings, school events, and Tribal activities resume, and approaching elections fill candidate rosters. The annual Harney County Fair & Rodeo—culmination of the community’s social calendar and reward for the year’s work—fosters healing. But looming federal trials re-open wounds. In Portland, prosecution and defense teams prepare for a volatile court appearance.

7 THE BOISTEROUS SEA

The first of two exhilarating Bundy trials spans six weeks, filled with unpredictable turns of fate for seven defendants arguing their actions constitute legitimate protest. A rapt public splits between those claiming “Patriots” protect individual rights and those viewing the occupation as treacherous insurrection. Surprise witnesses, unexpected evidence, and the replacement of one juror lead to a stunning conclusion. Jubilance and devastation cross paths across the nation. In two weeks, Dave Ward is re-elected...and Donald Trump becomes America’s 45th president. The Burns Paiute Tribal Pow Wow and lacrosse games offer more community solace—turning a year’s trauma toward release.

8 HEART AND LUNGS OF LIBERTY

Winter, 2017—a group of Bundy supporters meet at LaVoy Finicum’s makeshift memorial. The second Bundy trial nets convictions. A new invasion near Burns—the 10,000-strong Rainbow Family of Living Light—meets suspicion in the still-raw community that summer. In 2018, President Trump pardons Dwight and Steven Hammond, whose return to Harney County is met with conflicting opinion—and a wave of triumphant refuge occupiers. Dave Ward urges forgiveness and reconciliation. Local collaborative landscape-wide conservation advances, while across an increasingly polarized national landscape, a new insurrection brews. One community’s tenacity provides eerie insight...and a glimmer of much-needed hope.

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