The Tohono O’odham have lived in the American southwest and the Mexican northwest for thousands of years. Until the 1980’s the Tohono O’odham were known to most people outside their community as the Papago people. Papago, which means bean eaters, was changed officially to Tohono O’odham, the name they have always called themselves, which means desert people.1“Tohono O’odham (Native Americans of the Southwest),” what-when-how: In Depth Tutorials and Information, The-Crankshaft Publishing, accessed July 21, 2020, http://what-when-how.com/native-americans/tohono-oodham-native-americans-of-the-southwest/. Tohono O’odham Nation’s lands are split by the U.S.-Mexico border, a political divide made more disruptive by the construction of the border wall through their lands. The Tohono O’odham have been vocal in their opposition to the border wall as it interrupts religious pilgrimage routes, splits up families, and threatens native plants and animals.2Dianna M. Náñez, “How tribal leaders and conservationists are trying to stop the Trump border wall,” azcentral.com, May 23, 2017, https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/border-issues/2017/05/24/how-tribal-leaders-and-conservationists-trying-stop-trump-border-wall/341340001/.
