Growing in the Desert: The History & Culture of the Tohono O'odham

Name: Growing in the Desert: The History & Culture of the Tohono O'odham
Start: 2026-04-11T10:00:00-07:00
End: 2026-04-11T11:00:00-07:00
Location: 1 Burruel St, Tubac, AZ, United States, Arizona 85646

Schedule

Sat Apr 11 2026 at 10:00 am to 11:00 am

UTC-07:00

Location

1 Burruel St, Tubac, AZ, United States, Arizona 85646 | Tubac, AZ

This program is made possible by Arizona Humanities. Please note that park admission is not included.

Many Arizonans call the Sonoran Desert and its striking landscapes home. Long before our urban centers and city lights lit up the dark desert skies, the Tohono O’odham were cultivating and shaping the land with abundant agriculture—from squash and beans to corn and cotton. For generations they passed down their rich knowledge and culture grown from their connection to the desert. Join us for a program with Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan as she shares her knowledge about the history and culture of her people, the Tohono O’odham.

Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan, of the Tohono O’odham Nation, serves as the Education Liaison for the Kitt Peak National Observatory and as an instructor at the Tohono O’odham Community College. She earned her Ph.D. in American Indian Studies with a minor in Journalism from the University of Arizona in 2023. As part of her dissertation work, she created the first living-document on the history of land and water in the San Xavier District, as told from a Tohono O’odham perspective. She has written for news publications across the US including Indian Country Today and is part of Arizona Humanities’ AZ Speaks Program providing presentations on Tohono O’odham History, Culture, and Foodways across Arizona. Jacelle also serves on several boards and committees including Wecij U’uwi Hemapai (Tohono O’odham Young Women’s Gathering), Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace-Mission Garden, Friends of Saguaro National Park and Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area Partnership Council.