This special double issue takes on the complex politics of the American West. We investigate how the national Democratic party chose Xochitl Torres Small, a New Mexico congresswoman, in the 2018 primary. The investigation tears back the curtain on the political process, showing how the party picked a favorite while stamping down challengers. On the other side of the party divide, another feature profiles Oklahoma Republican Congressman Markwayne Mullin. A white-passing citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Mullin is one of the few Native federal lawmakers, but his ultra-conservative views complicate his relationship with Indian Country. Along the border, meanwhile, communities are fighting back against President Donald Trump’s most notorious political symbol – the border wall being built through Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Elsewhere, the issue looks at the ongoing youth climate case in Oregon, disparities in federal disaster aid, Wyoming’s dependence on the dying coal industry and more.

Democratic Party candidate for New Mexico’s 2nd U.S. Congressional District, Xochitl Torres Small (second from left), poses for photographs with supporters following her speech at a campaign event at an A&W restaurant in Belen, New Mexico, last November. Credit: Brian Sokol

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Eloquently missing the point

Carl Segerstrom’s harsh review of This Land (“The West is more than heroes and villains,” HCN, 11/11/19) dwells too much on the book’s style and tone, distracting from Christopher Ketcham’s compelling indictment of a century of severe and relentless damage to public lands in the Southwest. Segerstrom crafts clever turns of phrase to highlight his own…

by Steve Smith

Energy and national security

Thank you for this important article pointing out the numerous vulnerabilities disproportionately faced by low-income residents and people of color during a crisis (“Solar inequalities,” HCN, 11/25/19). After Hurricane Katrina and every subsequent hurricane, I have said to a friend or co-worker that cities should have neighborhood resiliency centers with PV. I’ve been saying that,…

by Ginger Wireman

Nailed it, Carl Segerstrom

You describe the West, with all its (“The West is more than heroes and villains,” HCN, 11/11/19). I could barely get through the inside cover of This Land; it’s a fiction of romantic idealism disconnected from the realities of our region, and the complex and pragmatic work to “save” it. Chase GunnellBallard, Washington, via Twitter This…

by Chase Gunnell

Sea lions are acting naturally

I want to comment on a phrase that was used in the recent article entitled “The ineffectual bombing of sea lions” (HCN, 9/16/19). In it, the authors describe the behavior of the sea lions eating the fish out of the fishermen’s nets as “unabashed thievery.” This is the second time I have read an article…

by Jason Scorse

Churlish review

At its core, Carl Segerstrom’s churlish review of Chris Ketcham’s This Land (“The West is more than heroes and villains” HCN, 11/11/19) provides perfect testimony to why the book is so needed at this time. The writing shatters the myths and illusions that ranchers are the salt of the earth, the very fabric that holds the…

by Katie Fite