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Short Wave

The Comeback Of The Southwest Peach

Short Wave

NPR

Daily News, Nature, Life Sciences, Astronomy, Science, News

4.76K Ratings

🗓️ 6 December 2024

⏱️ 18 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Centuries ago, Southwest tribal nations tended vast orchards of peach trees. But in 1863, thousands of those trees were cut down by the United States government when it ordered the Diné to leave their land as part of the Long Walk. Horticulturalist Reagan Wtysalucy wants to bring that those Southwest peaches back.

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Transcript

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0:24.9

You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.

0:31.3

Reagan-Whitesalusi was eight years old when her dad told her a story.

0:36.3

How centuries ago, at the four corners where Arizona,

0:39.6

New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado meet, there were thousands and thousands of peach trees.

0:46.1

They were planted like that among the tribal nations in the southwest. Vast orchards grew along

0:51.5

the Rio Grande. All the way out into Hopi and a lot of the Grand Canyon communities.

0:56.2

Growing up as a member of the Navajo Nation, Reagan had never seen a peach tree, but she learned the stories.

1:02.9

How the peaches were a vital food source, eaten fresh or boiled or dried in the sun and stored.

1:08.8

How many tribal communities in the southwest begin their spring dances when the peaches start blooming.

1:14.3

And when the peaches are done blooming,

1:17.6

then they stop their dances.

1:19.9

Even for Navajo, there's sacred prayers

...

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