Member Of The Tohono O'odham Tribe example essay topic

Introduction This paper will entail a discussion of a child named Dietta and her heritage. Dietta is a 6 year old female, Native North American child who is a member of the Tohono O'Odham tribe. Dietta resides with her family on the Tohono O'Odham reservation in southern Arizona. The Tohono O'Odham reservation is the second largest reservation in the United States and it stretches for over one hundred miles along the Mexico / American border. The reservation is very rural and lies in the arid Sonoran Desert, characterized by wide valleys, plains and jutting mountain ranges which rise to nearly 8,000 feet. The reservation and its tribal members would be considered to be of the lower socio-economic class in the United States.

Tohono O'Odham Cultural History and Migration Experience The Tohono O'Odham, formally known as the Papago, have lived in the Sonoran Desert for thousands of years. Although the desert too many of us seems to be unrelenting in its severe weather conditions, it supplied the Papago with their sustenance for many years. In 1980, the Papago officially changed their name from Papago, which means "bean eaters", to Tohono O'Odham, which means "desert people" in their Tohono O'Odham language. The Tohono O'Odham belong to the Piman branch of the Uto-Aztecan Linguistic family and are believed to be closely related to the Pima Tribe. The Pima people are probable descendents of the prehistoric Hohokam people. It is the general belief of Dietta and her Tohono O'Odham people that a power or creator brought about their people of the desert.

This creator as time went on, witnessed the desert people becoming more sinful in nature. However, the creator noticed that one person, Iitoi, also known as Elder Brother, was remaining true to the creator. The creator told Iitoi that a flood would soon come and kill all of the people in the desert. Because of Iitoi's remaining true, the creator placed Iitoi high up on Baboquivari Peak, the sacred mountain of the Papago.

It is from there that Iitoi witnessed the flood and the disaster that killed his people. After this disaster, Iitoi helped to create the Hohokam people from whom both the Papago and Pima became descendants. Iitoi helped to teach the Hohkam's the right way of life and they lived in harmony for many years. Eventually some of the people turned on Iitoi and killed him.

The Tohono O'Odham tribal members believe that his spirit fled back to the top of Baboquivari Peak where it remains today. The tribal members believe that Iitoi's spirit remains in the form of a very small man, and still visits their villages. When attempts would be made to capture him, he would take numerous twists and turns to avoid capture and eventually arrive back atop Baboquivari Peak. This belief created the Papago or Tohono O'Odham tribal symbol of the man in the maze.

This man in the maze is symbolized by a basket with the Elder Brother, Iitoi, at the top of an intricate pattern or maze. The legend of Iitoi and the man at the top of the basket symbolizes birth of the individual, of family and of tribe. As the figure travels through the maze they will face many turns and many changes. The elder tribal members frequently refer to a turn in their life and tie it back to a turn in the maze. It is the belief that as one travels further and further into the maze, one acquires more knowledge, strength and understanding. As one moves through the maze they get closer to the center of the maze or death.

Prior to reaching the center one has an opportunity to retreat to a small area in the maze to repent and reflect on all of the wisdom they have gained. Once one believes they are pure and in harmony with the world, they move on through the maze to the center and accept death. The journey and legend of the man in the maze is also tied to one's journey through life. Thus the legend of the man in the man in the maze begins the cultural beliefs of the Tohono O'Odham people.

The Tohono O'Odham people have their own language and in fact there are at least seven different dialects spoken among them. The Tohono O'Odham were basically desert farmers who lived a peaceful life. "They developed the knowledge, customs and crafts necessary for survival. They became a kind, gentle, sharing people, and in small groups of extended families, they developed a peaceful way of life, adapting themselves to the dry climate and the diet that the land afforded them". (Erickson, 1994). They were not aggressors and primarily focused on providing for their families and bands.

They settled into small bands which hunted and gathered food individually. The various bands had different hereditary chiefs and councils which would handle any disagreements and take care of punishing those who disobeyed rules. In addition to the chiefs, a very important man in the bands was the makai or medicine man. Even in today's times, the medicine man remains a very powerful person in the tribe. Eventually do to the aggression of the Apaches; the small bands gave way to larger village complexes for the sole purpose of defending themselves. These larger villages disbanded once the threat of the Apaches past and the people now formed smaller communities that were based on kinship.

These small kinship villages became the central units of the Tohono O'Odham. However, the ties to the old larger villages remained through their ceremonies, marriage rituals, economic trade and cooperation, social interactions and limited political association. The men of the tribe hunted, planted the fields, decided the laws and carried on the religious ceremonies, while the women harvested, wove baskets, made pottery and cared for the children. The Tohono O'Odham mainly survived by migrating between two different locales. During the winter months, they would retreat to the mountains near springs or wells, hunt wildlife and live off of the reminder of the crop from the last summer.

Then in the late spring or early summer, they would migrate down to the desert and locate themselves next to a wash or arroyo to plant their fields of corn, beans and squash. In addition, they would also dig holes in the earth called 'charcos' which would catch and hold water for future use. During the summer, the people would pick fruit from the cacti, gather mesquite beans and dig roots. These along with the yields from the summer crops would get them through the coming winter. Once the rains had passed and summer was over, the people would pack and store their food and once again travel to the mountains for the winter months. Oppression The Tohono O'Odham people at many different times have faced oppression.

Their first experience appears to be with the Apache's as they would attack and raid the Tohono O'Odham tribes to steal horses, women, children and food. The Tohono O'Odham people needed to resort to gathering into larger villages in order to better defend themselves against the Apache's. In addition, at times the Tohono O'Odham tribal members would assemble to attack first to prevent the Apaches from holding future raids. The next waive of oppression came form the Europeans or Spaniards who came to the west in search of wealth. They would end up taking and inhabiting much of the tribal land for themselves and their king.

While the Spaniards were not violent with the O'Odham people, they did come with preconceived notions and an agenda to change the tribal people. The Spaniards were basically unwilling to try and learn anything from the native people that they considered savages. The Spaniards ended up pushing the Tohono O'Odham people father into the desert and acquiring some of their land for their missions and the creation of towns. With the creation of the United States and also the Mexican liberation, came additional change for the Tohono O'Odham people. Those who chose not to move farther into the desert ended up assimilating to different groups, while those who moved ended up retaining their cultural heritage.

With the instability of the Mexican government and the eventual acquisition of more land by the United States came even more change for the tribal members. Eventually they lost more and more of their land to the Anglo's and the water resources that they had come to depend upon began to dwindle. The Anglo's believed in right of ownership of land and this was contrary to what the native people believed. Therefore, the way of life that the Tohono O'Odham had been accustomed to changed forever.

Strategies Early strategies developed focused mainly on the need to survive. The first evidence of this is in the smaller bands of people gathering into the larger villages in order to defend themselves against aggression. In addition, early on the tribe created a migration pattern to help them deal with the weather, and provision of food and water for survival. As time went on the tribe joined forces with other tribes, the Europeans and Americans to defend against the aggressors, and eventually they worked together to create peace. Another strategy appears to be the movement of the Tohono O'Odham farther into the desert and away from the influence of the Anglo's.

However, the tribal members were also very good at picking up which traits of the Europeans, and Anglo might help them in their farming and ranching endeavors. The tribal people picked up the use of certain crops, tools and techniques used in both farming and ranching. In addition, to this the tribe appears to have delineated roles for each member of the tribe. This has helped the tribe to continue to provide for its members and also allows everyone an opportunity to contribute in some way.

The tribe has also used its cultural basket making and pottery to provide income and a means of support for the tribe. In 1937 the final addition to the Tohono O'Odham reservation was enacted and created the second largest reservation in the United States. Through the use of government funds, the tribe has also created schools, paved roads, dug wells, and brought other modern day amenities to the reservation. In addition, the tribe formed a single tribal government under the Indian Reorganization Act.

A constitution was created that grouped the reservation by districts that resembled the former village groupings. Many of the current tribal members reside on the reservation however; work in towns and cities near their villages. The newest strategy appears to be the use of Indian gaming on the reservation to stimulate income and economic growth for both the tribe and its members. Modes of Coping Dietta might use several different methods in coping and adapting within the dominant culture. Through the use of the elders in the tribe and the belief behind the man in the maze, many life experiences can be shared with her to set an example for her. Dietta may actively seek out these opportunities to learn from her elders.

As young children not only learn their native language, they are also being taught English on the reservations. Younger members of the tribe learn at around age 6 how to begin to start contributing to your family and the tribe as a whole. The reservation appears to give the feel of a big extended family with many individuals from which to seek knowledge. Dietta may also use her older siblings to help her cope and bridge the gap between her traditional Tohono O'Odham life and the current dominant culture of America.

Education is always a strong method for coping and integrating varied belief systems. Through her participation in school activities or other outside activities such as girl scouts, or recreational programs Dietta will develop positive ways to spend her time and become a proud and stable member of her tribe. Positive Resilient Outcomes Dietta has many opportunities for positive developmental outcomes for herself. She has an opportunity to steadily attend school, learn both her native language as well as English.

Dietta has the opportunity to teach and educate others about her tribal heritage and their way of life. Dietta will have the opportunity to continue on with her education and graduate from high school. From there Dietta can either move into the work force or pursue a higher education. She can help the dominant culture to learn some of the values of her tribe, such as family, friends, giving and sharing with others. In addition, do to the increased focus on medical care for the tribal members, Dietta has an opportunity to be knowledgeable about health related issues facing her in the future and how to better take care of her health as she grows. Conclusion The struggle between the traditional Tohono O'Odham way of life and the dominant culture will continue.

The pressure of change and the encroachment never seem to stop pushing the Tohono O'Odham people. The physical and cultural form of this pressure may change as well as the intensity of the pressure; however, the pressure remains unending. The Tohono O'Odham people have assimilated in varying ways to our society. Some own automobiles, televisions, telephones and many of the amenities of our modern day society, while others hold firmly to the ancient ancestors and their ways.

Several of the members of Dietta's tribe still do not have running water, plumbing or electricity. Several of the younger generation has left the reservation to seek educational opportunities, economic growth and professional activities that are not available on the reservation. Many who have left still seek to return to share their knowledge and help in the development of their people and the reservation. They believe that the desert land is sacred and has provided for their ancestors for many years. It is where the Tohono O'Odham people can continue to change as needed, yet still maintain their distinctive identity and share their heritage as well as traditions.

Bibliography

Dewald, Terry. (1979) The Papago Indians and their Basketry.
Tucson, Terry Dewald) Erickson, Winston P. (1994) Sharing the Desert: The Tohono O'Odham in History.
Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1994) Fontana, Bernard L.
1981) Of Earth and Little Rain: The Papago Indians.
Flagstaff, Arizona: Northland Press, reprint, Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1989) Tohono O'Odham Tribe.
1985) Tohono O'Odham: History of the Desert People (Sells, Arizona;
Tohono O'Odham Tribal Education Department) Underhill, Ruth. (1939) Social Organization of the Papago Indians.
New York: Columbia University Press, 1939) Underhill, Ruth.
1941) The Papago Indians of Arizona.
United States Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs) Underhill, Ruth (1979) Papago Woman.
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