For this episode on the weekend of Dia De Los Muertos, host Chris Clarke celebrates the life and  work of five departed desert defenders: Judith Ackerman of El Paso; Tomás Rojo Valencia of Sonora’s Yaqui communities; Donna Charpied of Desert Center, CA; David Gaine of Lee Vining, CA, and Ken Sleight of Green River, Utah. In these all-too-brief descriptions, Chris gives us a glimpse into each activist’s work and life. Some of the five died tragically and far too soon, others lived out longer lives. All are missed. Bonus: If you stay to the end, Chris lists and commemorates 60 other departed desert defenders. Their work made our work possible.

Chris also observes the passing of labor icon Dolores Huerta, and in a mid-stream PSA, he urges listeners to donate to groups aiding survivors of the serious flooding in the Four Corners area. Check out the Bluff Community Foundation, Hopi Relief, the Navajo Relief Fund, and/or Samaritan’s Purse to help out. 

Chris is eagerly anticipating his attendance at the CHihuahuan Desert Conference in El Paso on 11/4-6, and hopes to see some of you there.

Resources:

Judy Ackerman — Texas House Resolution 63 (2023). Official memorial covering her military career, Castner Range work, Rio Bosque protest, and civic organizing. https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/88R/billtext/html/HR00063I.htm

Tomás Rojo Valencia — Human Rights Defenders Memorial. Profile and links to additional reporting on his killing and subsequent prosecutions. https://hrdmemorial.org/hrdrecord/tomas-rojo-valencia/

CEMDA — Independencia Aqueduct and Yaqui consultation rights (2015, Spanish). Legal and organizing background from an organization involved in environmental-rights advocacy. https://cemda.org.mx/a-dos-anos-del-fallo-de-la-suprema-corte-continua-operando-de-forma-irregular-el-acueducto-independencia/

La Jornada — Arrest in Rojo’s murder (July 6, 2021, Spanish). Contemporary reporting that attributes the toll-revenue motive to prosecutors. https://www.jornada.com.mx/2021/07/06/estados/024n1est

Donna Charpied — First-person interview, parts I and II (2008). Her farming background, the landfill campaign, and her vision for Eagle Mountain. https://edgeofthemirage.blogspot.com/2008/02/interview-with-donna-charpied-part-i.html and https://edgeofthemirage.blogspot.com/2008/03/interview-with-donna-charpied-part-ii.html

Chris Clarke — Court Order Final Blow to Landfill Near Joshua Tree National Park.  https://www.pbssocal.org/redefine/court-order-final-blow-to-landfill-near-joshua-tree-national-park

Donna Charpied — Family obituary notice (2017). Includes remembrances. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/venturacountystar/name/donna-charpied-obituary?id=10096010

John Hart — Storm over Mono (University of California Press, 1996). Free full text of the book recommended in the episode. https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/public/book/storm-over-mono-the-mono-lake-battle-and-the-california-water-future.html

California State Water Board — Mono Lake Basin. Official entry point to the 1983 court ruling, Decision 1631, and restoration requirements. https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/mono_lake/

John Wesley Powell River History Museum — Ken Sleight. River-guide biography and Hall of Fame profile. https://johnwesleypowell.com/ken-sleight-2012-hall-of-fame-inductee/

Richard Markosian — The Last Man To Know Glen Canyon Before Lake Powell (Utah Stories, May 29, 2014). Source of the interview and compromise quotation used in the episode. https://utahstories.com/2014/05/glen-canyon-before-lake-powell/

Ken Sleight — The Death of Glen Canyon. His own account, republished by the Canyon Country Zephyr. https://www.canyoncountryzephyr.com/2020/11/30/from-the-archives-ken-sleight-remembers-the-death-of-glen-canyon/

Dolores Huerta Foundation — In Memory of Dolores Huerta. Official memorial and family statement. https://doloreshuerta.org/in-memory-of-dolores-huerta/

Places and assistance links

Glen Canyon Dam facts and history — Bureau of Reclamation. Construction, power generation, and reservoir filling. https://www.usbr.gov/uc/rm/crsp/gc/index.html

Lake Powell operations — Bureau of Reclamation. Date-sensitive reservoir conditions and operational forecasts. https://www.usbr.gov/uc/water/crsp/cs/gcd.html

Hopi Relief. Assistance to Hopi communities. https://hopirelief.org/

Navajo Relief Fund. Partnership With Native Americans program supporting food, water, and emergency assistance. https://nativepartnership.org/nrf/

Copper Mountain College. Episode sponsor. https://www.cmccd.edu/

Support 90 Miles from Needles. https://90milesfromneedles.com/donate

Become a desert defender!: https://90milesfromneedles.com/donate

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