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2: The Strength of Tribes

Next Door Strangers Episode 2.
Renee Bright / KUER

We’ve covered how tribalism is wreaking havoc in our lives, but tribes are also a source of strength. They’re how humans have organized themselves to survive for thousands of years. We explore the idea that maybe better, stronger tribes are what we really need to repair the social fabric.

This story gets personal for Andrea as she grapples with feeling tribeless as a transplant in Salt Lake City. She talks with a spiritual leader from the Northern Utes, Lacee Harris, about being part of a Native tribe and what it does for him. And we hear from military vet Jason Comstock about war, unity and how he learned to create the tribe he needed with a group called Team Red, White & Blue.

Week 2 Challenge:

Last week, we challenged you to name five groups in your life that provide a sense of identity and belonging. This week, find someone else to do the five-tribes challenge. Then... talk about it. What holds your groups together and what do your lists have in common?

Tell us who you talked to and what you learned by sending a voice memo or e-mail to strangers@kuer.org.

Andrea Smardon is new at KUER, but she has worked in public broadcasting for more than a decade. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and news announcer for WGBH radio. While in Boston, she produced stories for Morning Edition, Marketplace Money, and The World. Her print work was published in The Boston Globe and Boston.com. Prior to that, she worked at Seattleââ
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