This is Democracy – Episode 223: Infrastructure and Indigenous Communities

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Professor Erika Bsumek to discuss how major infrastructure projects tend to damage indigenous communities and contribute to their erasure. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Sonnet on the Shores of Lake Powell" Dr. Erika Bsumek is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the author of: Indian-Made: Navajo Culture in the Marketplace and, most recently, The Foundations of Glen Canyon Dam: Infrastructures of Dispossession on the Colorado Plateau. Prof. Bsumek has received numerous teaching awards, including the UT Regents Outstanding Teaching Award. 

Om Podcasten

The future of democracy is uncertain, but we are committed to its urgent renewal today. This podcast will draw on historical knowledge to inspire a contemporary democratic renaissance. The past offers hope for the present and the future, if only we can escape the negativity of our current moment — and each show will offer a serious way to do that! This podcast will bring together thoughtful voices from different generations to help make sense of current challenges and propose positive steps forward. Our goal is to advance democratic change, one show at a time. Dr. Jeremi Suri, a renown scholar of democracy, will host the podcast and moderate discussions. Texas Podcast Network is brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. Podcasts are produced by faculty members and staffers at UT Austin who work with University Communications to craft content that adheres to journalistic best practices. The University of Texas at Austin offers these podcasts at no charge. Podcasts appearing on the network and this webpage represent the views of the hosts, not of The University of Texas at Austin.