Plateau on the Radio: Episode 35 Plateau Politics and the Government Shutdown

Listen to Episode 35 HERE...

As the longest government shutdown in history continues, we turn our attention to all the negative impacts that are taking place in the Plateau and beyond, and in the spirit of community radio we even try to bring you the other side of the coin and worked hard to bring you a comprehensive list of the positive impacts this government shutdown is having on people and places.

Signs in many National Parks this month urge visitors to please
take care of the place during this government shutdown.

We update you on the current state of National Parks around our region like Zion, Arches and the Grand Canyon, as well as incidents that have occurred in other National Parks around the country. And in our Notes from the Field segment we look at news from the government shutdown perspective on the impacts in regards to safety in our Public Lands, and important postponed fire management work around the West, as well as impacts that you might not have even suspected (for all you craft beer drinkers out there).

Trash cans overflowing in Yosemite National Park, CA

Also we hear from you dear listeners and your opinion on the government shutdown. All that and some good tunes to get us through the hard times. Tune in, and thank you so much for listening!

Plateau on the Radio Episode 34: Rumble on the Mountain

Listen to Episode 34 HERE...

We are happy to be back on the air after a nice winter hibernation, and on today's episode we will be highlighting one of the truly great community events that takes place annually here on the Colorado Plateau and that is the Rumble on the Mountain happening this Saturday January 19th in Flagstaff, AZ. This year is the fifth year of the Rumble and the topic they are highlighting is the ongoing legacy of Uranium Mining on the Colorado Plateau, a hugely important subject for the health of communities here on the Plateau, and a subject that does not get the spotlight it truly deserves.

'Rumble on the Mountain' by Ed Kabotie

We have some recordings from the very first Rumble on the Mountain that we will share with you, where the focus was on the utilization of reclaimed wastewater on the San Francisco Peaks, an area held sacred by all the sovereign Nations of the Plateau. The recordings include the audio of a piece by Sarah Weatherby entitled 'How and How Not to Ski', a moving performance and speech by the chair of the Havasupai tribe Rex Tilousi, a call to action by Moran Henn, and a Call to Holiness by Vernon Masayesva, the former chair of the Hopi Tribal Council. Also music by Tha Yoties, and Ed Kabotie.

And in the second hour we play some tunes by past and current performers of the Rumble on the Mountain, including Innastate, Sage Bond, and Sihasin. We also get to hear from organizer Ed Kabotie himself with a phone interview where we discuss the origin and metamorphosis of the Rumble on the Mountain event, the connection between uranium, arsenic, water and how we treat one another, as well as an update on his travels of late to Washington DC and California where he brings his messages from the land and people of the Plateau to all who will listen.

Ed Kabotie at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

Further Reading/Links:

Ed Kabotie - The Alternative History of America (performance at the Hopi Festival 2018 at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian)

Sarah Weatherby - How and How Not to Ski (presentation)

HaulNo (Facebook page of organization spotlighted at this years Rumble on the Mountain)

Rumble on the Mountain (Facebook page of the event)

Plateau on the Radio: Episode 32 Fall Foraging with Ashley Doyle

Listen to Episode 32 HERE...

It's that time of the season again friends, and now that crisp autumn is all around, guest host, forager and nutritionist Ashley Doyle is back on the air to bring you some great knowledge on foraging the Colorado Plateau.

Guest Host and forager extraordinaire, Ashley Doyle.

This time around she discusses medicinal and nutritional properties of Common Mullein, Mormon Tea, Snakeweed, Pinyon, and also how some foraging isn't just for eating but for crafty folks too.

If you would like to get a hold of Ashley Doyle with questions or some of your own knowledge on Fall Foraging the Colorado Plateau region, you can drop her a line at thecoloradoplateau@gmail.com, and she would love to hear from you.

An invasive plant found everywhere on the Plateau,
Common Mullein, is quite the useful plant indeed.

Further Reading:

Common Mullein Resource Page

Snakeweed Resource Page

Mormon Tea Resource Page

Pinyon Pine Resource Page

Coyote Melon Resource Page

Plateau on the Radio: Episode 31 The Tale of Everett Ruess

Listen to Episode 31 HERE...

Everett Ruess in the 1930's, photo by Dorothea Lange.

On this episode of our radio hour we explore the short but full life of Everett Ruess, an artist and wanderer who disappeared in the heart of the Grand Staircase-Escalante in 1934. 

Join us as we look at his past, hear some of his writings, and listen to some songs inspired by one of the great Plateau mysteries.

Inscription found by Greg Funseth and photographed by David Roberts

Further Reading: 

Finding Everett Ruess by David Roberts - If you can stand a whole bunch of badly placed advertisements you can read all of this great and extremely informative work by David Roberts via the link provided.

EverettRuess.net - a page by Everett's family.

Plateau on the Radio: Episode 30 Biological Soil Crust

Listen to Episode 30 HERE...

Tune in to the radio hour to learn all about something that is near and dear to our hearts...Biological Soil Crust.

Biological Soil Crust in Canyonlands National Park, UT (Photo by Bill Bowman)

Join us as we open up the Colorado Plateau Classroom and attend an entertaining lecture by soil ecologist Jayne Belnap and learn all about this amazing life form, the ecosystem services it performs, and about efforts to restore it in areas it was destroyed.

The recording is courtesy of a great program put on in Aspen, CO called Naturalist Nights and was put on by the great folks at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies and recorded beautifully by The GrassRoots Community Network.

And as always friends remember...Don't Bust The Crust!

Further Reading:

Research Paper Links by Jayne Belnap via Resarch Gate

A Field Guide to Biological Soil Crusts by Roger Rosentreter, Ph.D., Matthew Bowker, Ph.D., Jayne Belnap, Ph.D. Free to download the .pdf file.

Crust 101 by SoilCrust.org - a great resource for all things crust. 

Biological Soil Crusts - a 2 page hand-out, ideal for classrooms or informational booths.

Forest Rangeland Soil Ecology Lab at Northern Arizona University

Plateau on the Radio: Episode 29 The Murder of Johnny Elden Jr.

Listen to Episode 29 HERE...

On this weeks episode we embrace a new pillar (as we like to call them) of our show. We are all about science, culture, nature and community, but today we will add history into the mix as the Plateau region is rich with many interesting tales. Join my wonderful guest, historian and author John Westerlund, as we dive into the story of the 1887 murder of six year old Johnny Elden Jr. in northern Arizona, shot by a wayward bullet from an angry muleskinner...or was he? And if it is not young Johnny Elden Jr. in the very famous gravesite at the base of Mount Elden, then who is in there?

Give a listen and find out, friends...

The well known gravesite of 6 year old Johnny Elden Jr.

And if you would like to purchase a copy of the Journal of Arizona History that features the 25 page article, “Flagstaff Pioneer John Elden: Murder and Mystery - Myth and History” by historian John Westerlund you can find it at both Pioneer Museum, 2340 N. Fort Valley Road in Flagstaff, AZ, and Riordan Mansion State Historical Park, 409 W. Riordan Road also in Flagstaff.

And John Westerlund's book titled 'Arizona's War Town: Flagstaff, Navajo Ordnance Depot, and World War II' can be purchased at the The University of Arizona Press.

Cover of Journal featuring John Westerlund's
article, with painting by Catherine Sickafoose.

Finally, if you are intrigued by this weeks episode and want to learn more about Arizona history, then head over to the archives of The Journal of Arizona History where you can read articles going back to 1965. And please consider donating to the great folks at the Arizona Historical Society

Plateau on the Radio: Episode 28 Celebrating Poetry and Literature

Listen to Episode 28 HERE...

On this weeks Episode we put science in the backseat and focus in on poetry and literature on the Plateau, as the great Northern Arizona Book Festival kicks off this week in Flagstaff, AZ.

In our very first phone interview (getting fancy these days!), we were extremely honored to have on the Poet Laureate of the Navajo Nation (2015-2019), Laura Tohe. Laura spoke about her childhood, her early encouragement by a professor to embrace her writing skills, life on the Dine Nation, and her many wonderful works of poetry. No Parole Today is a prose memoir on her experiences attending a government school for Native children and the challenge it presented to her socially, culturally, and expressively, and another book we discussed was Tséyi' - Deep in the Rock, Reflections on Canyon de Chelly where she collaborates with photographer Stephen Strom.

Author, Scholar of Native American Literature and Poet Laureate
of the Navajo Nation, Laura Tohe.

Also we had on the Executive Director of the Northern Arizona Book Festival, Jesse Sensibar to talk about the origin of the Book Festival as well as the other literary events Flagstaff has to offer writers and the community including the Narrow Chimney Reading Series, Poetry Slams and the Juniper House Reading events. Jesse also has a new book coming out titled Blood in the Asphalt: Prayers from the Highway where he chronicles a lifetime spent as a tow truck driver on the lonely highways of the American Southwest.

Author and Executive Director of the Northern Arizona Book
Festival, Jesse Sensibar

Special thanks to poet and DJ Erik Bitsui for helping to set this show up. Could not have done it without him.

Head to the links below to find these great books mentioned above for purchase and support Plateau writers:

No Parole Today by Laura Tohe

Tséyi' - Deep in the Rock, Reflections on Canyon de Chelly

Blood in the Asphalt: Prayers from the Highway by Jesse Sensibar

Further Information:

Narrow Chimney Reading Series 

Juniper House Readings