News

• Indigenous Knowledge and Arctic Research in the Age of Trump
• Ramadan Brings Fasting, Prayer, and Charity
• CPW Collars Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep

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Indigenous Knowledge and Arctic Research in the Age of Trump

In the month since Donald Trump was sworn into office for his second term as president, his administration has laid off and fired thousands of federal workers, defunded numerous agencies, and called to take control over Greenland.

For the past several years, Telluride local, Ph.D., and cultural anthropologist Christina Callicott worked in Washington, D.C., through fellowships, working with USAID and the National Science Foundation. Her work centered around federal DEI initiatives with Indigenous Peoples and Arctic research.

Callicott spoke with KOTO News about the importance of this work, and what it could mean if the Trump administration continues with its agenda. She begins by talking about what drew her to working in D.C.

Story begins at 0:35.

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Ramadan Brings Fasting, Prayer, and Charity

In the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, starting at sundown on Friday, Muslims across the world celebrate and honor the month of Ramadan with fasting, prayer, and charity.

Tabassum Saddiqui is a community member, activist, and organizer. She’s Afro-Indigenous and Muslim. This year, she’ll be observing Ramadan with her husband in Norwood. Saddiqui spoke with KOTO’s Julia Caulfield about the importance of Ramadan, and what the month means to her.

Story beings at 8:15.

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CPW Collars Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep

Colorado loves a bighorn sheep. The official state animal since 1961, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep meander through the wilderness.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is looking to learn more. So, you might see CPW officers out and about between Telluride and Placerville.

“Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers and biologists are working as they try to collar 10 bighorn sheep to further our data collection on the western portion of this bighorn sheep unit — it’s called S21,” said John Livingston, public information officer for CPW.

“To better understand those bighorn sheep, their habitat use, and movement both with winter range and summer range, and the surrounding habitat. This is important as we track disease issues, specifically with Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, and how that relates to neighboring domestic sheep grazing allotments.”

In the late winter and into spring, CPW officers are scouring Highway 145 with the aim of finding and collaring the animals.

“We know that this herd of bighorn sheep comes down and utilizes the area around the highway during the winter. Various things push animals around during the winter months, whether it’s high snow, search for more food, as well as we know bighorn sheep like to lick up the salt that’s on our highways at times,” Livingston said.

When CPW finds a sheep, officers use a tranquilizer dart gun to sedate the animal.

“That allows our team to safely approach these animals while they’re under the influence of the tranquilizer,” Livingston said. “They can quickly take a health assessment. As soon as they get a GPS collar around the bighorn sheep, they’re then given a tranquilizer drug that takes 5-10 minutes to take effect, reverses the effects of the tranquilizer, and they’re back on their feet, a little bit groggy, but they’re back to normal.”

Livingston says being able to track the bighorn sheep is important for maintaining a healthy population.

“We know some of our bighorn sheep herds in the territory and high-priority habitat that they utilize do neighbor grazing allotments on BLM and Forest Service land,” Livingston said. “We know there is a correlation to respiratory disease spread between domestic livestock and bighorn sheep that can result in die-offs and lead to long-term impacts in lamb survival and recruitment, as well as stagnating some of our bighorn population over time.”

CPW hasn’t managed to get collars on any bighorn sheep yet, but they’re still working. Those who see the animals on the highway or on their property are encouraged to call CPW.

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Bardic Trails Poetry Reading Features Poet Teow Lim Goh

With a new month comes a new Bardic Trails poetry reading.

The monthly event is hosted by the Telluride Institute’s Talking Gourds Poetry Program and brings together poets from across the country with the San Miguel County.

Next week, Denver poet Teow Lim Goh will be the featured poet. Goh is a poet, essayist, and critic, writing at the intersection of people and place. She is the author of three poetry collections: Islanders, Faraway Places, and Bitter Creek. Her essay collection, Western Journeys, was a finalist for the 2023 Colorado Book Awards for Creative Nonfiction.

Through her work, Goh says she wants to recover the stories of Chinese immigrants in the American West.

At the event, Goh will present some of her work, with time for Q&A. Then participants will have the opportunity to share their own. The poetic prompt for the month is “China.”

The Bardic Trails Poetry event will take place on Tuesday, March 4, at 7 p.m. via Zoom. The Zoom link is available at tellurideinstitute.org.

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Wilkinson Library Hosts 2025 Book Battle Tournament

Prepare for the biggest literary competition of the year. It’s the Wilkinson Public Library’s Book Battle 2025!

The library is matching up some of the most popular books from the collection to see which one will be named 2025 Book Battle Champion!

Books in the competition include: The Women, The Wedding People, We All Live Here, Tell Me Everything, Martyr!, The Life Impossible, James, Intermezzo, Here One Moment, The God of the Woods, Funny Story, The Frozen River, Fourth Wing, By Any Other Name, All the Colors of the Dark, and All Fours.

Now through March 16, members of the community can fill out their own bracket. Then, on Monday, March 17, voting begins as a field of 16 is whittled down to take the crown. The champion will be announced on April 7.

The top three brackets with the highest success rate will win a gift card to Between the Covers Bookstore.

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Colorado Senate Committee Delays Immigration Bill

Earlier this week, the Colorado Senate Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs indefinitely postponed a bill that would have allowed local government to cooperate with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities.

For Rocky Mountain Community Radio, KSUT’s Clark Adomaitis has more.

Story begins at 18:34.

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Trump’s Freeze on Western Water Projects Raises Concerns

In his early days in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that put a freeze on billions of dollars for water projects in the Western U.S. KUNC’s Alex Hager reports the pause on money from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act has left environmentalists, city leaders, and farmers worried about the Colorado River.

Story beings at 19:58.