The American West conjures up images of breathtaking, expansive terrain and solitary figures on horseback in the minds of many. In reality, communities populated with families of many cultures with rich histories going back generations lay between these vast landscapes.
How these communities and cultures relate to each other, and with land management officials, is something I understand firsthand. The current atmosphere in this interrelationship when it comes to decisions affecting oil and gas leasing near the region’s national parks does not bode well.
When I was young, my dad worked in southwest Colorado at Mesa Verde National Park, a park well known for its Puebloan cliff dwellings.