EDGE OF THE REZ is a two hour long documentary produced by KNAU in Arizona. The series profiles the people who straddle two sometimes disparate worlds living in towns that neighbor the Hopi and Navajo reservations in northern Arizona. It explores tough issues including education, alcoholism, religion and racism through the compelling, often emotional, personal stories of both native and non-native people who live on the "edge of the rez."
In the first hour, EDGE OF THE REZ begins in Farmington, New Mexico, where hundreds of Navajos recently held a peaceful march to protest discrimination in border towns. We profile a Navajo/African American singer who grew up traditionally on the reservation, as well as a bi-cultural Indian trading family that spans two generations. We also tackle the thorny issue of alcoholism, and explore what two border towns are doing to address the problem.
Hour two of EDGE OF THE REZ begins with the story of a traditional Navajo couple that has sent all its children off the reservation to school, the challenges their children face, and the success they have achieved. We profile a remarkable Navajo family that blends political activism, punk rock and tradition. We also profile a border town health clinic, talk to a couple about the challenges to raising biracial children in a border town, and look at the southwestern phenomenon of "Indian wannabes."