Ep. 25: Oidag Stories Pt. 2

I learned if we want to maintain our language, traditional foods, ceremonies, games, medicines, our cultural ways, we must do those things. Speak the language, plant, and harvest our lands, to keep our songs and stories alive. Planting and growing a garden is one of the ways to not only be sustainable, but to experience something our ancestors did many years ago. This episode features community members from the Tohono O’odham Nation. Amy Juan, who is a long-time community organizer; as she sings, she also explains the meanings behind two traditional songs along with her own thoughts and experiences as an oidag’kam (farmer). Yvette Ventura works for the Healthy O’odham Promotion Program; she shares her experience learning how to garden and having fun while documenting it on social media. Sterling Johnson works for the Ajo Center for Sustainable Agriculture; he discusses traditional ecological knowledge (tek), while further explaining the science of genetic diversity in seeds.EPISODE CREDITS:Produced, edited, and mixed by Tina AndrewGraphic designed by Breanne HarveyAUDIO: Music licensed via Epidemic SoundLINKS:Be sure to follow and tag the podcast on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok!