Oodham

The O’odham are a group of Indigenous peoples of the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The name O’odham means “the people” in their language. The two largest federally recognized groups in the United States are the Akimel O’odham, or River People, in central Arizona, and the Tohono O’odham, or Desert People, in southern Arizona. In historic English usage, the Akimel O’odham were often called Pima and the Tohono O’odham Papago.

Traditionally, O’odham lands stretched across the Sonoran Desert. The Akimel O’odham inhabited the valleys along the Gila and Salt Rivers, while the Tohono O’odham lived across the southern Arizona desert and into the border region adjoining Sonora, Mexico. Today, O’odham communities exist in the United States and there are associated communities in the Mexican state of Sonora. They are organized as sovereign nations with their own governance structures.

The O’odham languages form part of the Uto-Aztecan language family. The two primary varieties are Akimel O’odham and Tohono O’odham, and many speakers are bilingual in English or Spanish. There are ongoing efforts to revitalize and maintain the languages within communities and schools.

Historically, the O’odham participated in regional agricultural and trade networks, developing and maintaining canal irrigation systems in river valleys and cultivating crops such as maize, beans, and squash, along with gathering wild foods like the fruit of the saguaro cactus. Traditional crafts include basketry and beadwork, and ceremonial practices are tied to land, harvests, and seasonal cycles.

Today the O’odham nations pursue governance as federally recognized tribes, working to preserve language, culture, and natural resources while engaging with broader economic and legal frameworks in the United States and Mexico.