The relationship between watersheds in the American West and the people who live alongside them is complex. When the stories turn to Indigenous westerners, too often the focus is on pre-colonial times or a rushed fast-forward to present day activism. This episode centers around a conversation with Dr. Karletta Chief, a professor in Environmental Science at the University of Arizona. Known for her work addressing environmental pollution on the Navajo Nation, she shares what it means to engage with Indigenous communities when addressing man-made environmental disasters and why this work is critically important in a future shaped by climate change.

To see images related to this episode, please visit dornsife.usc.edu/icw.

Western Edition is hosted by William Deverell and produced by Avishay Artsy, Katie Dunham, Eryn Hoffman, Jessica Kim, and Elizabeth Logan. Western Edition is a production of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West.