The stereotypical picture of the West doesn’t have room for me
I can’t remember a time when we didn’t have High Country News in our household. I still get excited every time I see one of your stories pop up online in other platforms, even as that happens more and more regularly. I don’t know if I would have solidified myself as a Westerner as strongly without your publication. Part of that was the shock and delight of seeing myself and my concerns in the magazine, over and over: gender discrimination, LGBTQ+ issues, combining classic conservation with human needs. HCN was the first place I really learned about Native concerns, and it provided an in-depth understanding of the unnecessary suffering of migrants.
I came into my 20s at the beginning of a climate crisis, with far-right racist groups in power and politicians trying to maintain capitalism as the solution to our problems; the stereotypical picture of the West doesn’t have room for me, or for the people I care about. But High Country News has reminded me again and again that this isn’t the only picture. Thank you for openly embracing reportage on those people most affected by policies, the climate and violence. You may lose some longtime supporters, but I know I’ll be telling my community about the publication that speaks frankly and truthfully about the place we call home. We need you.
—Martha Geier, via email
