Growing in the Desert: The History and Culture of the Tohono O’odham with Jacelle Ramon-Saubera

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.

This program is cohosted by Friends of the Florence Community Library.

About the speaker:

Dr. Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan is Tohono O’odham and from the San Xavier District. She serves as faculty in the Tohono O’odham Studies Program at Tohono O’odham Community College. Dr. Ramon-Sauberan also serves as the Tohono O’odham Nation Education Development Liaison for Kitt Peak National Observatory.  She earned her PhD in American Indian Studies with a minor in Journalism at the University of Arizona in May 2023. Her research focused on the history of land and water in the San Xavier District and she has written for news publications across the US including Indian Country Today.