Econ 295 / SOAN 291

Ajo was the perfect town to end the trip in. It was a very picturesque town in a beautiful area with a rich history. The mural project was awesome to see, in my town we have an alley called “art alley” with a lot of murals as well, and I love the use of otherwise empty space to voice ideas and contribute to art in the area. The art also simply creates a more beautiful, enticing space. I also enjoyed the tour and thought it was interesting and impressive how the Sonoran Desert Alliance was working to revive Ajo through many different ways. The Culley school was a beautiful, cool building and I could imagine myself staying there in the small desert town for a year attempting to write a book. The refurbishing of the school for low income housing was a cool way to attack the problem of homelessness and poverty as well as utilize a space that would otherwise be empty. The local farming was exciting and impressive because in America today most people are extremely disconnected from their sources of food, and to implement growing and connectedness in schools and in the community will help re-connect Ajo to their food. This is especially important with the extremely high amount of Native Americans with diabetes from the shift in diet to more western, processed foods. Planting and eating original foods that were grown in the desert has been seen as a deterrent or solution to the problem. The food and the shops in Ajo were cool as well and I enjoyed the whole of the town.

It is finally our last moments in Arizona (where has the time gone?) and we are gearing up for the long journey home. We went on a hike in the Organ Pipe National Park and we got to see a cool, new species of cacti that we had yet to see. On the hike, we took a trip into the middle of a canyon, and Arizona did not fail to provide on the beauty. It was peaceful sitting in the middle of the canyon just listening to the hummingbirds fly past. We even got to see the first (and only) puddles of the trip. They were filled with little tadpoles. The wildlife in the Sonoran Desert is endless and amazing. It was yet another unique experience.

Then we spent the afternoon in Ajo where we had an extra few hours to see more of the beauty in the town. The city’s central plaza is visually appealing looking into the courtyard from the Curly School. And we had another amazing burger from the Farmer’s market. But our time in the quaint town was winding down quickly,  and we eventually had to move on.

So we picked all our bags up and moved to Phoenix. There we had a very spicy dinner at a Thai place (still think we should have gone to Rudy’s, Eric H. will back me on this one). We laughed about Jacob mistakingly ordering a spice level of 4 thinking it would be mild. Then we all definitely did not cram finishing our rough drafts the night before they are due and got a great night’s rest. Then the following day we flew home through 2 separate storms, finally getting into Lexington in the middle of the night, wrapping up a great trip. Sad to see it end, but it undoubtedly a great time.

 

On Thursday, we learned about all the agricultural techniques used in the Sonoran Desert and the plants unique to the region. We even got to try some of the traditional foods, including mesquite flour, corn flour, “granola,” beans, and for those brave enough, chili pepper seeds. After seeing tanner choke on those, I was not inclined to try them. But I did however push away my picky eating for the morning to try the bland traditional beans of the desert. My second ever bean experience was quite tasteful, but I can guarantee unless it is those same beans, I will not ever eat them. Then we toured the urban gardens, which reminded me of the urban gardens from home. I think it is surprising that plants are able to thrive in this heat in the middle of a courtyard, but its techniques like this that show fresh food can be grown anywhere. Finally, we ended with a stop at the Ajo farmers market where I had a phenomenal burger.

Later that day, we got a tour of the small town of Ajo from the ISDA. It was interesting to see how they are trying to revive their old mining town through art. They provided ample opportunities for different artists to thrive in the town. I loved seeing all the murals throughout town and knowing that is how they are going to make progress moving forward. It really livened up the town as a whole and made every corner intriguing.

So, I finally had the opportunity to step foot in Mexico, even if it was only for about 3 seconds. On Wednesday, we went to the Mexican-American Border where we got to see the difficulty the Tohono O’odham people have when travelling throughout their own lands. The wealthy ranch owner on the Mexican side installed a fence that prohibits the Tohono O’odham people from travelling through their land. Vice chairman Kendall Jose spoke of an instance where the Tohono O’odham people had to carry a coffin over the border fence to be able to bury them on the Mexican. It is powerful to hear them tell stories of moments like this where their culture and tribe’s will to adhere to it overcomes every obstacle.

Later that day, we drove up almost 7,000 feet on the side of a cliff to Kitt Peak Observatory. The outlook onto Baboquivari and the desert of Arizona. Up there the air was chilled and the wind blew hard, which was a change of climate for the hot, dry air we had been experiencing. Once again, the beauty of Arizona is something you must see to understand. It is easy to understand why the land is so central to the Tohono O’odham culture. It is merely impossible to look at beauty such as that and simply ignore it. The top of Kitt peak will forever be one of my favorite views.

Walking up to that mountain, I had no idea what we were about to get ourselves into. In my head we are going to be on a narrow path through a million different species of cacti and finally come face to face with a rattle snake. But the hike continued and we never saw a rattle snake. Though, we did see a million different species of cacti (so at least I was right on one thing). We never made it to the top of that mountain, but we did drive up to the top of another mountain. I began hiking up and found myself sitting at the top of several rocks starring into the distance, taking it all in. It was the type of scenery you have to see to understand. 

Then came Abby and I’s 3 hour intermission (or nap), rightfully earned after hiking for almost 5 miles. 

We then ended the night with a talk from Bill Broyles. He spoke with great knowledge about the Tohono O’odham people. But what I noticed the most from his talk is how greatly today’s controversial and modern political topics effect the Tohono O’odham people. Grappling with climate change and the border debate, the Tohono O’odham people are stuck directly in the middle of the battle for justice. 

You can hear people talk about the traditions, culture, or even problems regarding their nation, but you never fully grasp the extent of their life until you are placed directly in it. The US society is focused on connection to one another through internet and political society. But on the Tohono O’odham nation, they are more focused on the presentation and continuation of their traditional ways placed in a world of 21^stcentury problems. They are forced to reconcile their traditions with the pressure of a developing society. Joe Joaquin described his full belief in the success of his traditions and the skepticism of the outside world. As a class, we had the opportunity to understand the life of these people through conversation. We were directly placed into their lives and learned about the issues they face. We heard their voices and the passion that fuels it.

We were also given the opportunity to stay directly on the reservation in the San Solano Mission. From the outside, the church appears to be abandoned and run down. There are collapsed buildings and run down playgrounds. But inside, it is a home to migrants and friars. This is the connection they have to the reservation, providing a home for those passing through. It makes me thankful to have an opportunity to spend time on such an integral part of the reservation. While there, Grayson and I explored the area around and found the beauty in the land, especially with Baboquivari standing tall in the distance. We also had a unique opportunity to see the carpet shoes used by migrants to cross into the United States without leaving footprints. There are the memories you cannot experience elsewhere.

They always say a picture is worth 1,000 words, and after looking at the pictures and artwork in the Tohono O’odham Nation Culture Center and Museum. The old adage rang true. In every painting or picture, you could see the great joy the Tohono O’odham people felt with their ceremonies or fear they had of things turning bad if the ceremonies were not followed properly. The pictures showed the history and connection the Tohono O’odham people had with their roots and land. For our society in the United States, it is easy to lose focus of our roots and erase history from our minds. It is hard to imagine a society dedicated to preserving their historical roots.

Another aspect of this museum is their tribute to the brave souls form the Tohono O’odham nation who fought, and some who gave their lives, to defend our nation. After years of being impeded upon by the United States/Mexico, there were still individuals still willing to go defend us and their own people. When reading the reasoning behind their motivation for fighting, one said she went in fear of their land being taken by Communists. Though she was motivated by fear of communists like the rest of the nation. They wanted their sacred land to be protected. From back then until now, the Tohono O’odham people still hold the same argument. They just want their land to be protected.

After a long trip, a few of us went hiking in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument!

As we strolled along the trail, the views were truly 360.  However, once the pathway ended, we decided to walk along a creek/stream/river that either once flowed with water or sporadically flows today.  Regardless, walking through the rocks was quite fun even though it probably was not the greatest for my shoes, feet, and knees.

Near the middle of the hike, Pat, Katherine, Professor Guse, and I hiked up a mountain and made it to a cave.  Professor Guse showed some great rock climbing skills as he quickly and easily made it into the cave.  Pat and Katherine made their way into the cave as well, just slightly less swiftly than the professor.  When it was my turn, I knew that either I just did not have the necessary upper body strength or lacked the will to quickly pull myself up such a steep slope.  Eventually, Professor Guse laid on his stomach with Pat grabbing hold of his legs to pull me up.  Finally, I was able to get into the small cave.

I must admit that looking out at the scenery from the cave was truly a great experience and a wonderful way to cap off the fun and memorable trip to Arizona.

(P.S. the picture above is the view from the cave.)

While we were in Ajo I could not help but admire all of the art sprawled across many of the walls of the city. Most of them were beautiful, but there were a few that stood out even more to me because of the messages that they conveyed. The art above, in particular, stood out to me and made me think for a little while. The first sentence, which says “For over seventy years my grandma’s high cheekbones were illegal” stuck with me, as the imagery of this sentence is incredibly powerful. For me at least it made me think of my own great grandmother smiling, and then made me reflect on how I would feel if people were calling on her to be deported. This is a pain that I will never have to personally experience, but one that thousands of people go through on a daily basis. I cannot imagine something that would be much more painful than having the government rip your family away from you, as it seems like a life-altering trauma that would leave a deep scar. I do not know if this painting was referring more to Mexican immigration or the historical situation of the O’odham, but it applies in both ways. When talking about the political issue of walls or immigration we need to remember that we are talking about families, just like ours, and real people. For people at the border, this is not some abstract ideological debate; it is very real, and will directly impact the lives of thousands of people. I would not want my family treated in this way, and I think people arguing for the wall need to try to put themselves in the shoes of the people who are directly affected by this situation.