All Topics 
Darrien Benaly
Darrien Benally
Planet Forward Correspondent | Northern Arizona University
April 09, 2024
‘We are the mushrooms’: A Diné community organizer’s efforts to combat pollution
In this episode of Darrien Benally’s podcast, The Trading Post, Benally interviews Cheyenne Antonio who is working in the checkerboard region of the Navajo Nation to organize her community to fight against the oil and gas industry.
Antonio has brought together researchers, elected officials, and community members to grow mushrooms to combat toxins in the soil from fracking waste. Known as “mycoremediation,” the use of fungi to remediate polluted land has been shown to be effective at degrading waste. For Antonio, the proximity of fracking operations, abandoned uranium mines, and coal mines to her community represent constant threats. Rather than sit idly, Antonio took action. Listen below to hear the full story:
