Hopi

This month is the release of the latest “Star Wars” movie. “The Rise of Skywalker” is said to be the final chapter in the original saga, continuing the storylines of rebellion, dark versus light, endurance, and friendship. Those themes have long resonated with “Star Wars” devotees. That is uniquely true among Native American fans. From landscapes to survival skills to philosophy to imperialism, “Star Wars” speaks to the historical experiences of many Indigenous people. An art exhibit that reopens at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff Fri, Dec. 20 sheds light on those connections. KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius reports on “The Force Is With Our People,” an all-Native-artist show.

Stone metates at an archeological site in Utah still bear faint traces of the native Four Corners potato. It’s the leftovers from a meal that happened more than 10,000 years ago.

The largest coal-fired power plant in the West officially shut down Monday afternoon. KNAU’s Ryan Heinsius reports, owners of the Navajo Generating Station closed the facility as the industry faces more competition from natural gas and renewables.

Sometime next year the skyline of Page will look very different. That’s when the owners of the Navajo Generating Station plan to demolish the three 775-foot smokestacks that, in the last four decades, have become synonymous with the area’s otherwise iconic natural beauty.