Customer Reviews

Sharing the Desert: The Tohono O'odham in History

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As one who works with members of the T.O. nation, I found this to be a very enlightening book. Although it probably focuses too much on battles with the Spanish, it does include how the reservation came to be established, and the importance of cattle ranching to the tribal economy in the past. Although it was written fairly recently, the history sort of ends with the 1960s-70s, which I find disappointing. The author certainly proves his mettle in digging facts out of 17th-19th century Spanish archives, but a more informative chapter would have shown how the establishment of casinos has affected the nation. However, as I understand, this book was written to be a textbook for T.O. children, and so this might not have been appropriate. Still, it is an excellent introduction to O'odham history and culture, and ought to be required reading for anyone working with members of the nation.