In To the Next Generation, Clarke is influenced in part by roadside monuments placed by various historical societies and related civic and governmental organizations. Many of these monuments romanticize American historical events (both national and local) and erase the history and presence of Indigenous people, cultures, and placenames. 

In contrast, Clarke’s series incorporates local histories (including Native histories) to turn the reductive trope of the “last Indian” on its head. He approaches the project with a Native concept of time and history, where time is cyclical and is tied to place. Whereas historical monuments are focused on the commemoration of the past, To the Next Generation features text that both reimagines Breckenridge’s past but also projects events tied to the land that take place in the future. Clarke’s research for this project included delving into Ute Nation and Summit County histories, as well local geography and environmental issues.