#iamthewest: Giving voice to the people that make up communities in the region.
‘I started to grass dance when I was just a little girl’
Leave it better than you found it
How to not let things deteriorate.
Felonious furries, bunches of bats, a coyote commune and pumpkin paddlers
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Can we find common ground?
Readers respond to a previous column.
Letters to the Editor, January 2025
Comments from readers.
Indigenous affairs stories you need to read
Beyond HCN’s coverage, the beat is expanding, highlighting the complexity of Indian Country.
Culture that impacted our sense of the West
Some books, happenings and other cultural endeavors that helped expand our sense of place in 2024.
What we learned about wildfire smoke this last year
The list of wildfire smoke’s long-term health risks continues to grow.
Our imperiled public lands
President-elect Trump, a Republican-dominated Congress and Utah launch an all-out assault on environmental protection.
How Utah’s Christmas Festival has buoyed a changing coal community
Thirty-five years ago, Helper was nearly a ghost town. Now, art and tourism are providing new paths forward.
2024’s biggest conservation wins for the West
There were glimmers of good news across the region, from restored habitats to growing wildlife populations.
2024 set the stage for clean energy on public lands
Thanks to Biden administration policies, the momentum behind the energy transition could be hard to stall.
Utah’s coal mines can’t find enough workers
A mine just reopened in eastern Utah, but the industry has changed.
Tribes sue after massive wind farm in Washington gets green light
The Yakama Nation contends that the project, which threatens ceremonial sites and wildlife habitat, is unlawful.
The Supreme Court decisions that gutted environmental protections in 2024
Several major cases destroyed federal agencies’ ability to address climate change and pollution.
The radical act of sharing Native literature
NDN Girls Books Club is more than a big pink truck full of free books.
Legal weed entrepreneurs promised a windfall from tribal lands. Then it fell apart.
The Fort McDermitt Paiute-Shoshone are still picking up the pieces from the failed cannabis cultivation venture.
Wildfire … in winter?
Expect more fires like the fast-moving one in Malibu, scientists say.
How did Native people vote this election cycle?
Accurate data is hard to come by, but one poll suggests many supported progressive priorities and liberal candidates.
Unhoused people pay a disproportionate price for the West’s deadly roads
People experiencing homelessness are more likely to die from transportation-related injuries than the general population.
