The Art Box - Episode 341 - Honoring Legacy – The Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Trail

In this special episode of The Art Box, host Steve sits down with Ian Wright and Lexie Little, leaders of the Utah Cultural Site Stewardship Program, to discuss a powerful intersection of history, preservation, and storytelling.

Ian and Lexie share the journey behind their extensive research and collaboration to create the Buffalo Soldiers Heritage Trail, a statewide interpretive project that shines a long-overdue spotlight on the Black soldiers who served in the American West. Their efforts culminated in the publication of the remarkable book Utah’s Buffalo Soldier Heritage Trail: Legacy of Black Soldiers Who Helped Shape the American West, which documents the contributions, courage, and complexity of these soldiers’ stories.

From forgotten campsites to historic forts, and through community engagement and public history, this conversation explores how we remember, honor, and preserve the narratives that shaped our nation—one trail marker at a time.