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A Basketball Season On The Navajo Nation

© Nathaniel Brooks
Coach Raul Mendoza watches the Chinle High School Wildcats in action.

Covering Super Bowl XLIX in Phoenix a few years ago, New York Times journalist , disheartened by the commercialism of the big game, drove north into Navajo country to spend time with a community known for its love of basketball.  He ultimately spent six months with the Chinle High School Wildcats as they pursued a state championship.  The result is his book, .  "Basketball is a passion play there.  In a town of 3,000," Powell told ¾ÅÉ«Íø, "5,000 will show up on the night of a big game."

Powell talks in greater detail about his time in Navajo country in this more complete version of the interview.

canyon_dreams_interview_long_version_final.mp3

from Canyon Dreams appeared in the New York Times in December 2019.

Spencer Beckwith reports on the arts for ¾ÅÉ«Íø. For ten years, until March of 2014, Spencer was the producer and host of ¾ÅÉ«Íø's "Performance New Mexico," a weekday morning arts program that included interviews with musicians, writers and performers. Spencer is a graduate of the acting program at the Juilliard School, and, before moving to New Mexico in 2002, was for many years a professional actor based in New York City.