Off the Beaten Path
In the series In the Americas with David Yetman, David Yetman and Dan Duncan take a fresh approach to travel and adventure in the Americas. David Yetman and Dan Duncan visit people who can replace conversation with whistling, islanders who have cooked the same meals for 10,000 years, and pastoralists who live at an altitude too high for any activity except herding llamas. They approach volcanoes in Chile and Alaska, and ride rafts, boats, ferries, horses, and motorcycles to explore the terrain. Yetman and Duncan meet people from all walks of life and let them tell their stories. And they film it all, so we can hear those untold tales and perhaps be inspired to wander farther afield next time we travel. In the series In the Americas with David Yetman, which airs on PBS, Yetman and Duncan uncover the geographic and cultural diversity of the Americas and take a fresh look at the lands that make up much of the Western Hemisphere. The show is an initiative of the College of Social and Behavioral Science’s Southwest Center, which seeks to define, illuminate, and present, through research, teaching, and publishing, the character of the Greater Southwest. The show supports the Southwest Center’s mission of education through cultural exploration. To supplement a recent anonymous gift of $85,000, Yetman and Duncan are seeking donations so they can continue to guide us to the fascinating places and people of the Americas.
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SBS DEVELOPMENTS 2018
EXPLORERS Yetman and Duncan have worked together for more than 20 years, each bringing their own skills and passion to the show. Yetman, a research social scientist in the Southwest Center, is the host and producer of the series and received Emmy Awards in 2007 and 2014 for his documentary television work. Duncan, a producer/filmmaker with the
In season 6, the show went to Chiapas, Mexico’s southernmost state. Populated for centuries by peoples speaking Mayan languages, they retain their customs and dress – while struggling to protect their homelands. Yetman and Duncan were invited to film one of their annual ceremonies. “Everyone was so proud to share a bit of their culture with the rest of the world,” Duncan said.
