The latest season of ABC Audio’s award-winning podcast, Reclaimed, will focus on the struggles to access water among one-third of the Navajo Nation.
What’s Happening:
- At least one-third of the Navajo Nation — the largest Indigenous tribe in the United States — have to travel miles just to access water for drinking, bathing, cooking and cleaning.
- Even more, many are concerned about the potential presence of uranium and other harmful substances in the water, which has historically been linked to increased cancer rates among Navajo people.
- In honor of Native American Heritage Month, the latest season of ABC Audio’s Reclaimed sets to bring this life-threatening issue to light.
- Hosted by Charly Edsitty, a Navajo nation citizen and journalist with ABC’s Houston affiliate KTRK-TV, this series chronicles the Navajo Nation’s generations-long fight for water rights — a battle that has reached a critical turning point with a landmark bill in front of Congress that, if passed, would create critical infrastructure that diverts water to Navajo communities.
- Reclaimed: The Lifeblood of Navajo Nation traces the roots of the Navajo struggle dating back to the 1800s, when the federal government began its legacy of control over tribal lands and resources.
- This is just the latest in a series of podcasts that spotlight pivotal stories and social justice issues that have often been overlooked throughout history. Previous seasons include:
- Reclaimed: The Forgotten League told the stories of baseball’s greatest Black players — overlooked because of the color of their skin
- The Story of Mamie Till-Mobley
- Tulsa’s Buried Truth, which documented the fight for justice for the descendants of the Black Americans killed in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
- The first episode of Reclaimed: The Lifeblood of Navajo Nation is now available to listen to on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, SiriusXM, Pandora, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, Audacy, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Reclaimed: The Lifeblood of Navajo Nation – Episode 1: “Dry Country”
- In the first episode, we meet Kyle Lewis, a retired Marine who now runs his family ranch on the Navajo reservation. His daily struggle to haul water for both farm and home use highlights the broader issue faced by at least a third of Navajo households that lack access to clean water. The episode traces the historical roots of this problem, starting with the tribe’s forced relocation and their return under a treaty that failed to secure water rights. Kyle’s hopes for a future water pipeline reveal how essential water is for economic development on the reservation, setting the stage for an exploration of the forces that have kept this vital resource from the Navajo people.
What They’re Saying:
- Laura Mayer, executive producer of Podcast Programming at ABC Audio: “This series captures the powerful story of the Navajo Nation’s endurance and commitment to securing their future. Reclaimed highlights the resilience and resolve of the Navajo Nation and their fight for the most fundamental resource—water.”
- Host Charly Edsitty: “Reclaimed: The Lifeblood of Navajo Nation takes the listener on a journey through a part of American history that is rarely known or talked about. Told through diverse Indigenous voices, Navajo citizens share their stories of determination to defend their tribal sovereignty, natural resources and future.”