At Casa del Migrante in Juarez, the wrists of Estela Magdalena Simon Esteban, 23 years old, and her three-year-old daughter, Zaida. These numbers are their place in line to apply for political asylum at the El Paso port of entry. Photo by Julian Cardona.

Estela Magdalena Simon Esteban and her three-year old daughter, Zaida, at Casa del Migrante in Juarez, Chihuahua. After her husband crossed to the US without documents, a man made constant attempts of sexual assault against Estela and she decided to leave her town, Playa Grande, Guatemala. Now she seeks to apply for political asylum to reunite with her husband in Salisbury, Maryland. Photo by Julian Cardona.

Juana Machenaquenich, 34, at Casa del Migrante. She was forced to leave Guatemala because several men were constantly trying to rape her 16-year-old daughter, Andrea Patricia. With Andrea and her two-year-old daughter Zuly Raquel (pictured) she will try to cross the border to reunite with her husband who lives undocumented near Washington D.C. Photo by Julian Cardona.

A girl plays in a courtyard of Casa del Migrante behind Juana Machenaquenich and her two-year-old daughter Zuly Raquel. Many of the migrants or refugees from Central America are now coming to the United States with their children. Photo by Julian Cardona.

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Immigrants crossing the border near Agua Prieta, Sonora, 2005. Photo by Julian Cardona.

Welcome to Season Two of Home of the Brave. This is the first of a series about the US/Mexico border and the present immigration situation. For background, I replay an interview with Charles Bowden recorded just a couple hundred yards from the barbed wire fence separating the two countries in the spring of 2005.

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Migrants from Mexico crossing into the United States at the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge near Sasabe, Arizona, 2005. Photo by Julian Cardona.

The best place for books by Charles Bowden is Ken Sanders Rare Books in Salt Lake City. They ship all over the world.

I need to take a break so let's call this the end of season one. And I'd like to play the second story I produced for the show, an interview with Alex Chadwick. Thank you very much for your support. I'm going to turn off the subscription service (Pay Pal), but you can still donate and buy tee-shirts, tote bags, and patches. I hope to be back soon. 

Music: Slow Bicycle by Mum.

Erica Heilman produces Rumble Strip from her home in Calais, Vermont. I like it because I never know what she's going to do next. This is a satire about modern life in America.

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Collage by Charles Hope

From following the news lately I feel like I don't know who to believe or who to trust, like I don't know what's going on or why and things are only going to get worse and there's nothing I can do about it. In times like this maybe surrealistic poetry and Dada make more sense than realism.

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Collage by Charles Hope

Which is worse--a campground or an oil well?

 

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Firewood in Monument Valley, collected on Cedar Mesa to heat Navajo homes. 

A story about the origin of the Bear's Ears proposal.

Round River Conservation Studies website

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Comb Wash

A conversation with Leigh Kuwanwisiwma, Hopi elder.

 

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From "Early Rock Art on the San Juan River" by Joe Pachak

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From "Early Rock Art on the San Juan River" by Joe Pachak

From "Early Rock Art on the San Juan River" by Joe Pachak

From "Early Rock Art on the San Juan River" by Joe Pachak

From "Early Rock Art on the San Juan River" by Joe Pachak

Bear Ears Buttes in the background. Looking north from the top of Cedar Mesa, San Juan County, Utah. Elevation 7000 feet.

A conversation with author Terry Tempest Williams about the source of the problem in the battle over public lands in southern Utah.Click here for a link to some of Terry's work.Music by Glenn Gould playing Bach's Goldberg Variations.

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Bears Ears from the west. In the foreground is one of the many sandstone canyons draining Cedar Mesa. Elevation 5000 feet.

The bridge over the Colorado River where it becomes Lake Powell, Hite Crossing. Elevation 4000 feet.