Indigenous Mormons struggle to balance pride in the faith with LDS history
Some are calling out historical injustices the church has carried out against Native Americans, even as others find their faith empowering.
Diana Kruzman
I'm a freelance reporter writing about the environment, religion and urbanism.
Recent Work
Who built the pyramids and how? The debate rages on YouTube.
Most “alternative historians” distance themselves from theories about aliens, but they’re still spreading damaging misinformation, archaeologists say.
How Ohio’s Indigenous sacred sites became a religious flashpoint
A battle for access to sacred sites is taking place, from mountains in Arizona to rivers in North Dakota, aimed at fending off developers or government agencies to preserve the physical integrity directly linked to their spiritual value.
Mercury mining makes a comeback in Kyrgyzstan
Mercury, used in gold mining and electronics, poses serious health risks. Despite international pressure to ban its trade, Kyrgyzstan is ramping up production.
Funding Isn’t Reaching America’s Immigrants
Across the country, grassroots organizations have faced an uphill battle to secure enough money to adequately support their growing immigrant populations.
A Tiny Town Was the Soviet Union’s Uranium Hub. Now, It’s Racing to Avoid Disaster
Mailuu-Suu powered the Soviet Union's nuclear program. But climate change and its nuclear legacy are putting the town in Kyrgyzstan at risk.
Indigenous and faith leaders urge Procter & Gamble to end logging of old-growth forests
Activists pressuring the company to source materials in Canada and Southeast Asia more ethically say it’s not just an environmental issue, but also a spiritual one.
Youngstown’s sewage plan, already behind schedule, goes back to the drawing board
Youngstown is taking another look at its plan to control sewage overflows, even as its efforts to comply with a federal mandate lag nearly three years behind schedule.
Underground counselors: The chaplains helping transit workers cope
While religion is declining in the U.S., the use of chaplains is growing in workplaces as employers see spiritual care as crucial to employee well-being. The New York subway system typifies this trend, using 68 volunteer chaplains to offer guidance and counseling to workers.
U.S. Southwest, Already Parched, Sees 'Virtual Water' Drain Abroad
Foreign corporations are increasingly purchasing land in the U.S.; in the Southwest, thanks to longstanding laws on water rights, these purchases often come with unlimited access to the valuable water underneath the soil.
‘It’ll Get Better’: Chaplains Play Essential Role for Transit Workers
Over the course of the pandemic, the M.T.A.’s nearly all-volunteer force of about 70 chaplains has mobilized to check in with workers who are sick or quarantining, offer support to families of employees who died of the virus and counsel those feeling isolated or burned out.
Why Chaplains Are in High Demand in an Increasingly Secular America
In secular institutions around the country, chaplains have maintained a constant presence, and in some cases even expanded their ministry, focusing on the intersection of spiritual and mental health.
