Between the Ears - Songs of the Mojave Desert

Poet Daljit Nagra revisits the BBC's poetry archive and selects Between the Ears - Songs of the Mojave Desert.

Natalie Diaz is a celebrated Mojave American poet.

Her award-winning poetry collection, When My Brother Was An Aztec, draws on her experiences growing up on the Fort Mojave Indian reservation, a 40,000 acre stretch of desert spanning California, Arizona and Nevada.

Natalie brings us to Mojave Valley, to the home of her uncle Hubert McCord. At 91, Hubert is the last fluent Mojave speaker who is also a singer.

Together they have been working on a language recovery program for young people, whilst also recording ancient bird and clan songs for future generations.

Mojaves call themselves Aha’Macav - which means the river runs through their bodies and through their land. Today this is the most endangered river in the United States.

Despite brutal attempts to silence Mojave language and culture in the 20th century, Mojave ancient songs, with their stories of animals, the river, and ancient beings, still resonate with life today on the reservation.

However, many traditions are at risk of dying out.

Producer: Victoria Ferran

A Just Radio production for BBC Radio 3, first broadcast in 2020.

***** Plus Daljit reads a poem from his Poetry Extra Book of the Month: Unstill Landscapes by Becca Drake.