Ep. 32: Ciolim & Climate

In this episode, Tanisha and I decided to meet up at “A” Mountain aka Sentinal Peak in Tucson to have a conversation about desert wild foods and climate change. Even though it was windy up top we found a comfortable spot alongside the mountain facing south Tucson. It was a good place to reflect and imagine what the land once was like when it was just our ancestors the Huhugam (Hohokam). We delve into the topic of how we gather and what we eat from desert plants and how every year we depend on the seasonal changes that produce the wild foods we harvest, some years the plants flower early or they produce late. As a wild food harvester, I’ve taken notice of some unpredictable weather patterns we’ve experienced throughout the Tohono O’odham Nation. I talk about a few examples such as the wildfire that took over I’iolgam Duag (kitt peak), over-saturated soil that caused flooding, and how in recent years we got snow throughout southern Arizona more than once in one-winter season. Tanisha, who is also a desert food harvester, shares her view about the effects of climate change and how it affects the seasonal foraging of various desert plants. We also bring attention to the thought of looking at desert wild foods as food security in a time of rapid worldwide climate change. We hope you enjoy our conversation!

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Recorded May 2023