The Magic Southwest

Kirbie Bennett, Jamie Wanzek

5.0 (1)
History

the past is living and real ꩜

2d ago

Blue Corn and The Old Fort

During the late 1800s The Old Fort Lewis was a military fort and Federal Indian Boarding School. Today the land supports Fort Lewis College's Farmer Training and incubator programs. Brandon Francis, a scientist and seed keeper reflects on the Old Fort, the land and the significance of blue corn to Diné people. This story was originally produced for KDUR Durango by Jamie Wanzek. Chapters (00:00:19) - Introduction at the Old Fort in Hesperus(00:01:27) - A Sacred, Tragic History of Resilience(00:02:17) - The 4,000-Year Tradition of Blue Corn(00:02:58) - The Bluebird Legend and Planting with Family(00:03:40) - Snow, Sprouting Seeds, and Faith
Sep 23

THAT PARK WAS ONCE A NEIGHBORHOOD: La Planta

Several decades ago, working class neighborhoods lined the Animas River in Durango. Today, these spaces are parks and pickle ball courts. But during the 1950s this was once a hub of industry including uranium milling. One family shares how their story connects to the toxic legacy of Durango’s industrial past. Chapters (00:00:01) - Finding La Planta's old neighborhood(00:01:42) - Life in a working-class riverside community(00:03:42) - Displacement and demolition of the neighborhoods(00:06:13) - A family history of cancer(00:08:15) - Questioning the cause: cancer clusters and suspicion(00:10:13) - Durango's industrial and uranium mill legacy(00:12:07) - Public health findings and radioactive contamination(00:13:00) - Environmental racism and nuclear colonialism(00:15:05) - Downwinders, compensation, and unrecognized victims(00:16:27) - From toxic sites to parks: erasure and amnesia(00:17:51) - Fighting for justice and remembering the past(00:20:03) - Credits and closing
Jun 17

News: Colorado courthouses and ICE arrests

Advocates say Immigration and Customs Enforcement is abusing loopholes in a Colorado law, SB20-83, which limits where ICE agents can make arrests connected to courthouses. This story was originally produced for KDUR Durango and Rocky Mountain Community Radio. Chapters (00:00:00) - Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition says ICE is making arrests at courth
Jun 17

Along the Wagon Road

Rhubarb is all over the San Juan Mountains in Southwest Colorado. Where did it come from? And what does an abandoned road in producer Jamie Wanzek's backyard have to do with it? Content warning: This story mentions suicide ideation. Reported, written, and produced by Jamie Wanzek Edited by Kirbie Bennett Music: You'll Never Catch Me Crawling Back to You Roy Williams The Poppy Red Garden Loner on a Cliff The High Lonesome Hearth © The Magic Southwest LLC Chapters (00:00:00) - Silverton's International Rhubarb Festival(00:07:43) - Old Rhubarb Plants in Silverton(00:12:27) - The woman from the Rhubarb Cookbook(00:15:21) - The Old Road From Durango to Silverton(00:22:10) - From the Trail: A Wagon Road Through the Mountains
Jun 17

News: Fort Lewis College formally welcomes its first Indigenous president

Fort Lewis is a former federal Indian boarding school, making the appointment of President Heather Shotton significant because she is a descendant of boarding school survivors. This story was originally produced for KDUR Durango and Rocky Mountain Community Radio. Jamie Wanzek is an employee of Fort Lewis College Chapters (00:00:00) - Fort Lewis College Welcomes New President Heather Shotton During Investiture
Jun 17

A Conversation on Indigenous Feminisms and Futurisms (feat. Kinsale Drake and Darcie Little Badger)

"This anthology is a portal," says Kinsale Drake. "Art, poetry, songs, stories - those things are both ancient and alive right now, and those are our superpowers." In this episode of The Magic Southwest, co-host Kirbie Bennett speaks with Kinsale Drake and Darcie Little Badger, co-editors of a book titled Beyond the Glittering World: An Anthology of Indigenous Feminisms and Futurisms. Throughout the interview, they discuss the importance of highlighting underrepresented Indigenous voices, as well as anti-DEI backlash they've encountered while promoting the collection. Written and produced by Kirbie Bennett. Music provided by Alex Kehm. © Magic Southwest LLC Chapters (00:00:00) - Beyond the Glittering: Indigenous Feminisms and Futurisms(00:02:47) - Interviews: Beyond the Glittering World(00:08:02) - The COVID Anthology(00:12:06) - The Making of This Anthology(00:17:13) - On The Synthology(00:19:48) - Beyond the Glittering World: The Controversy(00:26:21) - The Voices of Native Americans: A Selection(00:30:31) - Are You Working On Any Projects?(00:31:53) - Poems about History in the Southwest
Jun 17

Camping Out at the Spanish Trails Fiesta

Today, Durango Fiesta Days is popular for its late-summer rodeos. When the event started in 1935, it was called the Spanish Trails Fiesta. On this episode of The Magic Southwest, Kirbie travels back to the 1950s and explores what the fiesta looked like, including stories about Indigenous people camping along the Animas River. What was the Spanish Trails Fiesta like for them? Written and produced by Kirbie Bennett. Music provided by River Foxcroft Chapters (00:00:14) - The Story of Durango Fiesta(00:08:49) - Byron Frost's story of the Spanish Trail Fiesta
Jun 17

A People's Press

Print newspapers are becoming increasingly hard to keep alive. But for Maggie McGurie, print media isn't going anywhere in Southeastern Utah. This story was produced for the Transom Traveling Workshop in Moab. Special thanks to KZMU Moab Community Radio, KDUR Durango, KikiBouba Press, The Moab Sun News, and Transom. Music: Martin Landström Anna Ash Chapters (00:00:08) - The last locally-owned newspaper in Moab
Season 1, Episode 1 Trailer

Trailer: The Magic Southwest

In 1881, JJ Reilly, an artist from New York, visited Southwest Colorado. To the artist, 'magic' referred to industry, gold, and the illusion of the western frontier. At The Magic Southwest, we redefine 'magic'. We tell stories of the past, present, and future of this region. Chapters (00:00:08) - The Magic City of the Southwest
Jun 15

Poem: LOOK AT THE WAY THE MOUNTAINS HOLD THE SKY & THINK ABOUT WHAT IS BURIED IN A LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As a prologue for a new season, Kirbie shares his land acknowledgement poem. Some notes: The 1890 census is a direct quote from the timeline section compiled by Native Voices, a division of the National Library of Medicine. Sound design was provided by Epidemic Sound. An earlier version of this poem was previously published in the Winter 2025 issue of Chapter House Journal. Chapters (00:00:00) - When I Read You a Land Recognition

1 Trailer

9 Episodes

Trailer

Trailer: The Magic Southwest

In 1881, JJ Reilly, an artist from New York, visited Southwest Colorado. To the artist, 'magic' referred to industry, gold, and the illusion of the western frontier. At The Magic Southwest, we redefine 'magic'. We tell stories of the past, present, and future of this region. Chapters (00:00:08) - The Magic City of the Southwest

the past is living and real ꩜

Creator

Kirbie Bennett, Jamie Wanzek
Years Active

2026
Episodes

10
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026
Show Website

The Magic Southwest