These videos were produced with faculty Suree Towfighnia and Video Production students in the JMP 3420 in the Journalism and Media Production Department at the Metropolitan State University of Denver in Spring 2025.
Event Livestream
This live recording showcases the Stories From The Colorado River panel at MSU Denver. The panelists Louise Benally, Reuben Cruz, Leona Morgan, and Woman Stands Shining Pat McCabe discuss the challenges their communities face due to threats to their local water sources.
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The Waters Connect Us
Four Indigenous leaders of environmental activism unite to educate about threats to the Colorado River from water contamination on Native lands. Brought together by this fight, they amplify one another’s voices and pass on the torch to keep fighting to protect the waters that connect us all.
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The True Cost of Nuclear featuring Leona Morgan
In this short piece, Co-Founder of Haul No, Leona Morgan, challenges the legacy of nuclear control and the risks of uranium extraction, urging viewers to rethink the cost of so-called green energy in the Southwest.
Speaking for the River with Louise Benally
A short-form visual story exploring how extractive industries threaten sacred water and lifeways in Diné territory, told through the voice and lived experience of Louise Benally.
Life and Water featuring Reuben Cruz
This brief yet compelling video follows Reuben Cruz as he reflects on climate change, ecological disruption, and what it means to honor the Colorado River as a living system.
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Social Media Reels – Water Stories
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Audience reactions to the Stories from the Colorado River Panel at MSU Denver on 4/10/25
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Bonded-by-the-Process: a Behind the Scenes Documentary
A handful of MSU JMP students embark on an ambitious project of telling the story of the Colorado River and the people surrounding it. Their journey will be one of creativity and struggle as they try to effectively tell the story of unique individuals dedicated to its preservation as a river. The purpose of this film will hopefully provide an unfiltered look into the minds of the JMP department students minds as well as inspire future creatives to pursue their dreams.