I drifted around the rural West and country for decades. Until I reached a small corner of Colorado.
Communities
Posted inArticles
Alaska land sale kicks off the state’s ambitious new agricultural project
The Nenana Totchaket Agricultural Project aims to fight food insecurity in the state but could interfere with local trappers’ ability to gather food.
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How growing Western rec towns might hold onto their futures
Researchers look to give small tourism communities the tools for a GNARly approach.
Posted inJuly 1, 2022: Living with Rivers
Why can’t the public access the West’s biggest waterfall?
Willamette Falls used to be a public place of laughter and sharing. It could be again, if painful politics don’t eclipse revitalization efforts.
Posted inAugust 1, 2022: Our Fiery Future
A community poisoned by oil
People living in Wilmington, California, experience higher levels of illness and ailing mental health.
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Raquel Gutiérrez feels shades of desperate
The author of ‘Brown Neon’ on queer fatherhood and being broke down in the desert.
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Worrying about the dust next door in this Montana mining town
Residents of a Butte neighborhood are concerned about what’s wafting from a nearby open-pit mine that can coat their homes and vehicles.
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Reconsidering Wilma Mankiller
As the Cherokee Nation’s first female chief’s image is minted onto a coin, her full humanity should be examined.
Posted inJune 1, 2022: A Legacy of Weapons and War
How cooking, eating and harvesting beach greens ties a family together
An Inupiaq writer remembers her family roots through a favorite dish.
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Duwamish Tribe sues Interior in federal court, alleging sex discrimination
After decades of back-and-forth with federal authorities, the matrilineal descendants of Chief Seattle want federal recognition, once and for all.
Posted inJune 1, 2022: A Legacy of Weapons and War
The Navajo Nation’s first economist takes a fresh view on development
Alisha Murphy discusses her vision of a robust tribal economy and the importance of community input.
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Ashes and silver linings: Marshall Fire survivors reflect
Colorado’s most destructive fire leaves behind grief and slow recoveries.
Posted inMay 1, 2022: New Ways of Seeing the West
Why is this California sheriff suddenly interested in ‘environmental crimes?’
Law enforcement takes center stage in Siskiyou County’s fight over who can, and can’t, use land and water.
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Why rural communities struggle to bring in much-needed federal grants
A new analysis suggests that over half of communities in the West lack the capacity to take advantage of infrastructure bill funding. Now what?
Posted inApril 1, 2022: The Archives Issue
How a California archive reconnected a New Mexico family with its Chinese roots
Aimee Towi Mae Tang’s Chinese American family never talked about the past. She decided to change that.
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Reflections from Ukrainian and Russian immigrants: Roman and Stella
Southern California residents wrestle with events unfolding back home in the Russia-Ukraine war.
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Reflections from Ukrainian and Russian immigrants: Kira and Iryna
Southern California residents wrestle with events unfolding back home in the Russia-Ukraine war.
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Reflections from Ukrainian and Russian immigrants: Dmytro and Pavel
Southern California residents wrestle with events unfolding back home in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Posted inApril 1, 2022: The Archives Issue
The children at rest in 4-H Park
The city of Albuquerque is finally working to address the legacy of its boarding school cemetery.
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Reflections from Ukrainian and Russian immigrants: Mila and Roman
Southern California residents wrestle with events unfolding back home in the Russia-Ukraine war.