Interviews
Navajo water project brings running water to off-grid households on Navajo Nation
Many people take hot and cold running water and a flush toilet for granted. But for some residents of the Navajo Nation, it’s a luxury they don’t get to enjoy at home. Now, several organizations are trying to bridge what’s known as the “water gap.”
Self-contained hand washing stations help Navajo and Hopi families who lack running water
Up to a third of the households on the Navajo and Hopi Reservations lack access to clean running water. One organization is installing self-contained hand washing stations to help.
Loans for Native entrepreneurs a way of growing community
A new program called “Kinship Lending” seeks to connect Navajo and Hopi entrepreneurs with micro-loans to help them through the pandemic. A conversation with Jessica Stago of Change Lab, a Native business incubator that runs the loan program.
Farmer’s market adapts to keep vendors and patrons safe
Local markets are enacting rules to keep people safe. And some small farmers and ranchers are using the internet to sell their products. I spoke with Melanie McKinney Gonzalez, market manager for the Durango Farmer’s Market, to learn more.
Art vending machines debut in Mancos as artistic expression explodes during pandemic
Mancos, Colorado-based blacksmith Alex Bond found a way to get art into customers’ hands using vending machines. He also spoke about the pandemic’s effect on creativity.
Bridging the digital divide on Native American lands
Studies show that seven in 10 people on rural tribal lands do not have access to broadband internet. The lack of connection is dangerous during a pandemic. I spoke with Darrah Blackwater about bringing better broadband to Native lands.
Mesa Verde reopens after two-month closure; What visitors can expect
Mesa Verde National Park is open again after two months because of the coronavirus. There are some caveats to what visitors will see and do.
A friendship endures during a pandemic, even through a window
Rena Wilson drops by the Valley Inn Nursing Home in Mancos, Colorado, every week. She spends some time with her longtime friend, Mac Neely, who is 99-years-old. They can’t meet in person right now because of the coronavirus. But that doesn’t stop their ability to connect.
Looking back on the impact of 1918 Flu, hantavirus outbreak in the Four Corners
I reached out to Andrew Gulliford, Professor of History at Durango’s Fort Lewis College, to learn how the Four Corners handled the 1918 influenza outbreak.
Small businesses weather the pandemic Storm in the Four Corners
The pandemic has been particularly hard on small businesses. But some rely on their regular customers and government loans to weather the storm.
Animal adoptions up nationwide during coronavirus crisis
Animal adoptions are up nationwide. Especially now, people want the companionship and therapy that comes with having a pet. KSUT’s Mark Duggan spoke with Floss Backburn, Founder and President of the Denkai Animal Sanctuary in Cortez, to learn more.
Online learning a success for Montezuma-Cortez School District
Even in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, the job of educating children continues. Developing online learning has been challenging for school officials. But as Mark Duggan reports, it’s also been a success.
A conversation with the Navajo Nation’s chief medical officer about COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic is hitting the Navajo Nation particularly hard. Health officials are bracing for more cases, even as supplies are starting to arrive.
Montezuma County prepares for increase of confirmed COVID-19 cases
Health officials in Montezuma County are preparing for an increase in confirmed cases of the COVID-19 infection.
What to watch for as bee season arrives
Bee season is here. They’re browsing for pollen and swarming. I checked in with a Colorado beekeeper about ensuring that their populations stay healthy.
The dark skies of Dinosaur National Monument
The area around the monument is one of the darkest places in the U.S. Now it’s been officially recognized for its lack of light pollution, and that’s drawing people eager for a look at the heavens.
Jonathan Thompson reflects on cause and fallout of 2015 Colorado mine spill
The environmental writer talks about his book detailing the 2015 Gold King Mine Spill, which polluted hundreds of miles of rivers in parts of Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. River of Lost Souls details the toxic legacy of mining in southwest Colorado and what led to the spill.
Craig Childs: Correspondent from the cataclysm
An interview with adventurer and author Craig Childs. His latest book, Apocalyptic Planet: A Field Guide to the Planet Earth, is about how the earth is falling apart. And always has been.
Bear’s Ears: Two conflicting ideas for land management in the new West
Two proposals are competing on managing a large swath of federal land in southeast Utah.
Living among the “Methane Hot Spot”
A giant, concentrated plume of greenhouse gas hovers over the San Juan Basin region of the Four Corners.
Irish-American fiddler Eileen Ivers connects Celtic and Americana, looks to the future of the instrument
In a telephone interview in the spring of 2016, Ivers said she’s excited to see a new generation of Irish players take up the fiddle.
A.J. Croce reconnects with long-deceased father Jim through a shared love of music
A.J. Croce’s latest shows combine his music his father’s songs and bridge the two with some of the music he’d found they both loved.
South African musician Johnny Clegg on nearly forty years of transformation
Clegg passed away July 16, 2019. Here’s an archive interview I conducted with him in 2016, a few days before he performed in Durango, Colorado.
Of wild men, mustangs, and mountain ranges
Producer Cindy Meehl on the many meanings of the movie “Unbranded.”
The reincarnation of Os Mutantes
A conversation with Sergio Dias of the legendary Brazilian band.
Tom Russell and the vanishing poetry of The Old, Weird America
Tom Russell writes songs about champion fighting cocks, Edward Abbey, the Watts riots, Nina Simone, and the day Frank Sinatra played Juarez. For him, it’s all part of a grand tradition of American storytelling.
Reviving a great American river
The Colorado River is the world’s most regulated waterway, with 25 dams on a 1,500-mile course. The river stops flowing in Mexico and never reaches the sea. National Geographic explorer Wade Davis has a solution for restoring the flow and reviving the once-verdant Colorado River Delta.