The Power of the Prairie

The Power of the Prairie

Nautilus Members enjoy an ad-free experience. Log in or Join now . In 1987, the geographers Deborah and Frank Popper published “The Buffalo Commons,” a now-famous essay that painted a bleak picture of the American West: a bitter climate, a vanishing population, and a tragic, stubborn loyalty to cattle ranching. Then-young East Coast academics, the Poppers offended much of the West by arguing that European settlement of the Great Plains had alway…

Little Pasture on the Prairie

Four years ago this weekend, my friend and her daughter arrived for a visit from Seattle. Ini tially, the weather was bright and sunny, but Seattle missed them, and almost immediately, the dry heat shifted to mist and rain. No one minded as we’d been in a season of drought.PLEASE LOG IN FOR PREMIUM CONTENT. Our website requires visitors to log in to view the best local news. Not yet a subscriber? Subscribe today!Read more about Little Pasture on…