Water is Life: Tradition and Transition in the Navajo Nation

Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s first-year students in the Terrascope Program are taught a holistic approach to science and engineering. This year, their assignment was to address the issue of water access for Navajo people, who live in a contaminated area. They were asked to find solutions through understanding the culture and outlook of the Navajo, or Dine people and traveled to spend a week to learn from direct personal communication with various members and experts in their community.

They discuss culture, history, language, tradition, water, relation to environment, and survival, along with scientific and practical problems – and even learn about the elaborate Miss Navajo Nation competition where young women become ambassadors of their native culture.

Credits:

Content for this show was gathered by the students of Terrascope Radio. Dr. Ari Epstein is co-founder and teacher and co-producer of this Sprouts show. Production assistance from Ursula Ruedenberg at Pacifica Radio.


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