This week on New Mexico in Focus correspondent Antonia Gonzales speaks with Native fashion model Quannah Chasinghorse (Han Gwich’in Sicangu/Oglala Lakota) about her recent turn on the red carpet for the Met Gala and about walking in New York Fashion Week. The 19-year-old has been a Native advocate and environmental activist as long as she’s been a model. Now, with a larger stage, Chasinghorse sees a chance to amplify her message. 

A prolonged drought across the West has hit New Mexico ranchers and farmers especially hard. Environment correspondent Laura Paskus talks with Agriculture Secretary Jeff Witte about how the state’s growers are responding. A pivot to more water-wise policies and crops is already happening, but Witte expects new behavior by consumers to play a major role in what is grown in New Mexico. 

With Balloon Fiesta soon to color the pre-dawn around Albuquerque, The Line opinion panel talks about the festival's decision to forgo a vaccine requirement – and what it might mean for other major events. The group also discusses the final weeks of the state’s redistricting plan, which kicked into high gear with the release of proposed revisions to political boundaries. The panel starts the show with a discussion about how the Texas abortion law is impacting New Mexico and how the state’s politicians and doctors are responding. 

New Mexico in Focus airs on NMPBS 5.1 (KNME HD) Friday, Sept. 24 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 26 at 7 a.m., and streaming on the PBS video app.  

NMiF Segment
Native American Fashion Takes Center Stage 
Correspondent
Antonia Gonzales 

Guest
Quannah Chasinghorse, fashion model 

Agriculture and Drought 
Correspondent 
Laura Paskus, environment correspondent  

Guest
Jeff Witte, New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture 

The Line opinion panel
Serge Martinez, UNM Law School 
Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group 
Martha Burk, political psychologist and author of "Your Voice, Your Vote" 

Host
Gene Grant 

New Mexico in Focus is the New Mexico PBS prime-time news magazine show covering the events, issues, and people that are shaping life in New Mexico and the Southwest. NMiF takes a multi-layered look at social, political, economic health, education, and art issues, and explores them in-depth with a critical eye to give them context beyond the "news of the moment." 

The producer of New Mexico in Focus is Matt Grubs, with Kathy Wimmer, associate producer. The NM PBS Public Affairs executive producer is Kevin McDonald. 

The McCune Charitable Foundation provides NMiF funding, along with viewers like you. Get updates, watch and follow New Mexico PBS on FacebookTwitterYouTube, and more.