In “Border Nation,” Ofelia Rivas narrates these opening passages to the documentary that tells the current-day plight of the Tohono O’odham Nation and its unique distinction of sharing 76 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.
In our creation stories, this is where we came to be.
We know the names of the mountains.
We have songs for those mountains.
It’s our responsibility to take care of these lands and our way of life and our sacred places.
The O’odham people have lost most of their lands and now live on less than a tenth of Tohono O’odham Nation’s original homelands, of which 62 miles are adjacent to the U.S.-Mexico International Border.
Rivas will be at Adams State on Tuesday, March 31, as part of a series of events titled “Fatal Beauty: The Border, Nations, & People.” She will share the story of the O’odhams in a presentation from 6-7 p.m. at McDaniel Hall Room 101.
Under the direction of Florencio Aranda III, the ASU Office of Community and Global Impact looks to create student and community experiences that explore people, places and provide perspective.
In the case of Fatal Beauty: The Border, Nations, & People, the focus is on the border region in Arizona and the situation of Tohono O’odham Nation, the third largest Native American Reservation in America.
“I am the tangible proof of resistance and survival of my people today,” Rivas says. “I am fluent in our ancient language and I am not a Christian and practice only the O’odham way of life. I hope only for a peaceful future for the next generations.”
Fatal Beauty: The Border, Nations, & People will open with a photography exhibit on the border region in Arizona, which will be on display beginning March 25 through April 12 at Nielsen Library. An opening reception is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. at the library’s Bear Cave. Find all the events in the series HERE.
“For us it’s a beautiful tribute to the people, our borders, having those discussions that are pertinent and necessary, and we hope through this week of displays that we can really see the realities that exist as individuals migrate to and from the lands,” says Aranda.
Aranda, along with Nielsen Library’s Candice Taylor and Greg Wilson, preview more of the events in this episode of The Valley Pod.