Description
The O’odham people have lived in the Sonoran Desert since time immemorial. They are descendants of the ancient Hohokom people and have thrived despite the harsh desert climate. Using the Santa Cruz River and the yearly downpours from the monsoons, the Akimel (River) O’odham carved out elaborate acequias, or canals, and basins to water crops. The Tohono (Desert) O’odham that lived farther from the rivers would migrate between two village locations in order to follow water sources. The O'odham peoples, including the Tohono O'odham, the Pima or Akimel O'odham, and the Hia C-ed O'odham, are indigenous Uto-Aztecan peoples of the Sonoran desert in southern and central Arizona and northern Sonora.
Language
O'odham or Papago-Pima is a Uto-Aztecan language
Culture
The O’odham people cultivated a variety of crops, including squash, beans, cotton, corn, and more. To supplement their diet, the O’odham gathered various foods, including cactus, agave, cactus fruit, and mesquite. Their mythology tells that the land was given to the O’odham by Elder Brother to live on when the earth was created. After 1680, many O'odham village sites were occupied by other arrivals to the borderlands. O’odham women were responsible for preparing foods and young women were also responsible for gathering foods and water for their families. Women and girls were also given the responsibility of making pottery and weaving basketry. Young men assisted men during hunting, spinning string for weaving, or making rope.