#guvo

It’s harvest season for the Tohono O’odham Nation (TON) and the lifeways of the Sonoran Desert. The O’odham Je:wed or O’odham land, is providing what the community needs. Last week we shared a video produced by Google, featuring the Native American Advancement Foundation (NAAF) whose work in partnership with the GuVo District of TON can be seen as part of that bounty. We were so moved by the faces and stories that bloomed throughout the video that we wanted to learn more.

In 2011, a group of GuVo District families met to discuss ways to support youth education and community wellness. They understood that any program’s successes had to be rooted in Tohono O’odham himdag (lifeway principles) and i:mig (identity, kinship, and geography). Native American Advancement Foundation was born from the vision of these planning sessions and the dedication of these people. The mission of NAAF is intentionally inward-facing. Each project is sculpted from Tohono O’odham tradition and consults with elders, GuVo District Council, and citizens for guidance. The After School and Summer Adventure programs are NAAF’s longest-running programs, and each proudly boasts a 100% graduation rate, which corresponds to graduation in elementary, middle, and high schools. Some of their additional programs include General Education development and Grad Solutions, Healthy People Coalition, Tohono O’odham language learning, and The Store, a non-profit entity for food and household items. Many, if not all, of these projects incorporate multi-generational learning where academic and cultural education walk hand-in-hand like language arts and storytelling or weaving, math and O’odham brick making, and earth science and traditional agriculture. Everything is connected, and NAAF seeks to bring those connections to life.

Since COVID-19, NAAF expanded programming to ensure basic needs are being met. GuVo District experiences food insecurity due to a remote rural geography -- 75 miles from the nearest grocery. NAAF works with District Council to provide access to provisions and daily home meals for children with enrichment materials in Tohono O’odham culture and wellness. With each challenge, there is always an opportunity for growth, and NAAF is breaking new ground. Since school closures, NAAF provides families with educational resources from laptops to home-based learning packets and a socially distanced internet cafe. The increase in academic services again brought the community together, and NAAF and GuVo families developed a plan to provide a Remote Learning Center to support K-12th grade education. Ruth’s Garden is an integral part of this plan. Named for a beloved GuVo elder and education advocate, this multi-generational learning site will create a space to teach traditional growing and irrigation methods while restoring the original foods. During a time of such loss and uncertainty, children, teens, and elders are working together to tend the soil, bring forward life from ancient seeds, and ensure the future for generations to come.