What is Voices of the San Juan?
Voices of the San Juan is nothing more than a passion-project started in 2019 by Sam Travis and Jerad Bussell. While spending time at Fort Lewis College, they became captivated with backpacking, fly fishing, wildlife, history and subsequently, the time they have spent outdoors has become their salvation. With a developing world too full of distraction and technological advancement, they fear of the loss in 'sense of place' and a weakened connection to the land. Through this podcast, Sam and Jerad hope to not only learn about this place they call home, but they also hope to help in preserving what is known and unknown within the region. Residents of the San Juan Basin come from a range of different ethnic-backgrounds and cultures, live a variety of different lifestyles, work an array of hardworking jobs, and participate in an infinity of outdoor passions and pursuits. All individuals have a voice and Sam and Jerad would like nothing more than to have a listen.
Samuel D Travis
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Jerad A Bussell
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Sam Travis grew up in New Mexico on the San Juan River below Navajo Dam with the one of the largest oil fields in the country and the Carson National Forest in his backyard. He moved to Durango, Colorado in 2013 to attend college. He has graduated from Fort Lewis College with a Bachelor's Degree in English and a Master's Degree in Education. His aim is not only to be a teacher and help his students learn, but he has every desire to learn alongside them as well. Similarly, this podcast serves as a means to continue learning from the world around him following his years in school. He is passionate about the Four Corners Region and hopes to remain a part of it for the rest of his life.
Jerad Bussell was born in Steamboat, Colorado. After moving to Fort Collins and then growing up there, he moved to Durango, Colorado in 2015. He has graduated from Fort Lewis College with a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology. The spark that is now a "passionate-obsessive-love" for anything outdoors is attributed to his time spent at The Fort. The people he became antiquated with and the Outdoor Pursuits program allowed him to see what was possible in the four corners region. He is an avid fly-tier, fly-fisherman, mountain bike enthusiast, backpacker and youth development professional. Additionally, he loves gardening and playing funk on his bass guitar. He hopes to, one day, make a living by doing one or more of the aforementioned things- or by learning!
Jerad Bussell was born in Steamboat, Colorado. After moving to Fort Collins and then growing up there, he moved to Durango, Colorado in 2015. He has graduated from Fort Lewis College with a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology. The spark that is now a "passionate-obsessive-love" for anything outdoors is attributed to his time spent at The Fort. The people he became antiquated with and the Outdoor Pursuits program allowed him to see what was possible in the four corners region. He is an avid fly-tier, fly-fisherman, mountain bike enthusiast, backpacker and youth development professional. Additionally, he loves gardening and playing funk on his bass guitar. He hopes to, one day, make a living by doing one or more of the aforementioned things- or by learning!
What is the San Juan?
We define the San Juan as the vast expanse of the San Juan River watershed. Flows of water connect the Four Corners country in much the same way that vascular circulation connects organs, oxygenates muscles, and supports limbs in the human body. Thus, in the vast expanse of rugged terrain within the San Juan Basin, it is the many rivers and streams, creeks and ditches, gulches and gullies, and those "dry" arroyos that connect communities and forge human relationships, making each of these tributaries the lifeblood of the region. To the north you have the Navajo, Rio Blanco, Piedra, Pinos, Florida, Animas, and Mancos Rivers. To the south there is the Largo, Gallegos, Chaco, and Chinle drainages. All of these serve as major tributaries to the main artery that is the San Juan River. And this main artery winds its way through the Four Corners region to eventually connect with the Colorado River and Lake Powell before entering the ultimate crescendo that is the Grand Canyon.
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The San Juan River Basin is the heartland of the Four Corners Region. It is a 25,000 square-mile expanse of jagged peaks, crumbling mesas, deep canyons, and badlands that are too difficult to describe. Portions of this land look as if they are sunburned -- scorched red from lack of water and vegetation. In others, the land is so dense with life that it is almost as if you had entered a foreign world, comparable to a rain-forest or jungle-like setting. The diversity in landscape makes this region rather unique compared to most places in this country, and what is more... It is home to not only the largest mountain range in Colorado (the San Juans), but also the largest Native American Reservation -- the Navajo Nation. Accompanying this are the tens of millions of acres of wilderness, most of it still road-less and untouched. One could spend a lifetime (and many have) exploring and learning about such a place. And although this region is vast, it remains one of the most sparsely populated, rugged, and remote parts of the continental United States.
Those who do occupy the land are far and few between. You might ask, who are the Voices of the San Juan and what makes them worth listening to? What a difficult and complicated question to answer! Perhaps it is the various cultures that flourish in this region -- a mosaic of sorts, whose story begins around 10,000 years ago. From the various populations of Native Americans (Anasazi, Ute, Navajo, and others...) to the Spanish and English, whose "New World Empire" caused the land to erupt in overwhelming conflict and swift, unstoppable change. Those who remain in this region understand and still face the prospect of continuous struggle. This land's history is complicated, conflicted, and curious all the same. There will never be many of us here. The land simply cannot support us. The forces that shape this land pay little heed to the human communities that live among it. To those who call this unremitting land "home," please share with us your story, your means of survival, and your connection to this remote expanse that is the San Juan Basin.
Those who do occupy the land are far and few between. You might ask, who are the Voices of the San Juan and what makes them worth listening to? What a difficult and complicated question to answer! Perhaps it is the various cultures that flourish in this region -- a mosaic of sorts, whose story begins around 10,000 years ago. From the various populations of Native Americans (Anasazi, Ute, Navajo, and others...) to the Spanish and English, whose "New World Empire" caused the land to erupt in overwhelming conflict and swift, unstoppable change. Those who remain in this region understand and still face the prospect of continuous struggle. This land's history is complicated, conflicted, and curious all the same. There will never be many of us here. The land simply cannot support us. The forces that shape this land pay little heed to the human communities that live among it. To those who call this unremitting land "home," please share with us your story, your means of survival, and your connection to this remote expanse that is the San Juan Basin.