I learned in High School that my great-grandfather was a registered member of the Tohono O’odham Nation. On the encouragement of my mother, who grew up not knowing much of her grandfather, while resistant, I registered. I resisted as how could I claim something I did not know? I’ve been unsettled with this concern since that time. I’ve spent the third decade of my life with this question and now breathe life into the questions of: How does one claim indigeneity if learned later in life? And what does it mean to be indigenous?

To read of my last trip to O’odham land please see this short story, “Hunger”

I am grateful to be a student and receive education at Tohono O’odham Community College. It is through TOCC that I have entered into learning of O’odham history and O’odham culture.

This is a piece of my beginning and struggling process of learning…….. emerging……. listening…… understanding….. claiming…. speaking