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Tha Yoties headlined the Flagstaff Music Festival in Heritage Square, downtown, on September 28. The local band’s shows are known to be ‘Funky Yotie Parties,� harping on their upbeat, fun melodies. Despite this, the messages that weave through Tha Yoties� music are conscious and reflective of concerns and difficulties indigenous populations face.

Tha Yoties� performance at the Flagstaff Music Festival was a homecoming of sorts, Ed Kabotie, guitarist, vocalist and flute player for the reggae-rock band, said. Tha Yoties was formed in Flagstaff, and has deep ties playing locally, however Kabotie explained that the band’s mission is to howl for the people and lands of the Colorado Plateau� and that mission has been bringing Tha Yoties across the four corners region and beyond to advocate for native populations.

Kabotie said much of Tha Yoties� focus in the past year has been in opposition to the haul route for the Pinyon Plain mine, otherwise known as the Grand Canyon Mine. According to , a volunteer-led indigenous group fighting uranium mining in the Grand Canyon, the Pinyon Plain uranium mine sits on Red Butte, which is Traditional Cultural Property and a sacred mountain located just six miles away from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The Haul Route Tha Yoties are working to fight is nearly 300-miles long with the capacity to haul 30 tons of radioactive ore per day, covered only with tarps, according to Haul No!

The route cuts through towns such as Valle, Williams and Flagstaff as well as several indigenous communities to arrive three miles from White Mesa, Utah, a Ute Mountain Ute tribal community, the Haul No webpage described.

Kabotie, alongside musicians Romeo Alonso, Mike Davis, Andrew Baker and Alec Tippett, have been playing at events that aim to fight the haul route.

Rumble on the Mountain X, hosted at the Orpheum Theater on February 3, was a “cry for justice and an effort to raise awareness of the ongoing social and environmental justice issues of the region,� with a focus on opposing the Haul Route from Pinyon Plain Mine to White Mesa, Utah. Kabotie said Rumble on the Mountain X served as a foundation for Tha Yoties� continued efforts throughout the year.

Kabotie said much of the work Tha Yoties does to complete their mission of howling for the people of the Colorado Plateau involves encouraging people to recognize issues that are taking place as well as the effects those issues can have on indigenous communities and beyond.

Tha Yoties� efforts to spread awareness� and good vibes� through their music throughout the year have included playing community events for the Havasupai people, at the Santa Fe Indian Market, for Hatch River Expeditions� guides in-training, at the Pecos archeology conference in Prescott and more. Kabotie said that Tha Yoties also went out to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC to play a show with a delegation of Havasupai and Hopi, which was documented by filmmaker David Wallace. In addition, Tha Yoties played an August 10 show called Uprising, in Tuba City� a community event in opposition to the haul route through Havasupai, Hopi, Navajo and Ute lands.

“We’ve played in Colorado and New Mexico probably more than around Flagstaff,� Kabotie said of Tha Yoties� year so far.

Kabotie said while some of the community is supportive of the efforts Tha Yoties stand for, there is still work that needs to be done in terms of spreading awareness. Kabotie commended Coconino County Supervisor Lena Fowler and her team’s efforts, alongside the Grand Canyon Trust, The Center for Biological Diversity and KUYI Hopi Radio for being pillars within the community who stand alongside Tha Yoties in opposing the Grand Canyon mine haul route.

However, Kabotie said he wished to see more concern and attention for the issues impacting indigenous communities coming from the city of Flagstaff.

“These are ongoing issues for the tribes surrounding Flagstaff,� Kabotie said. “I feel like this is why we have the annual Rumble on the Mountain show, to highlight issues that we face as neighbors of Flagstaff.�

While they work to spread serious messages, Tha Yoties� shows are still considered Funky Yotie Parties. Kabotie said that education, entertainment and celebration all play a role at one of their shows.

“We want to share the love, we want to share the joy of living in this world and breathing and experiencing the sunshine and the rains and the winds, all of it,� Kabotie said.

Tha Yoties have catchy melodies, lively performances and a conscious message, Kabotie said. Despite their focus on spreading awareness, Tha Yoties are indeed a dance band, he emphasized.

“[Shows are] conscious and they’re focused and there is an element of messaging, but again, it’s a funky party at the end. The longer it goes, the funkier it gets,� Kabotie said. “I love to see people dance, I love to see people smile� that’s the joy of what we do.�

Kabotie said people can look out for new music from Tha Yoties in the future, as the band has several projects in the works, set to release over time� including the Xoyote Soldier album, remaining tracks from the album Midnight Patrol, and a series of covers that reflect on Tha Yoties� time spent in Washington DC.

You can see Tha Yoties perform at the Old Town Center for the Arts in Cottonwood on November 9.