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Ṣu:dagī ‘O Wuḍ Doakag
Water is Life

ABOUT

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​Ṣu:dagī ‘O Wuḍ Doakag means ‘Water is Life’ in the language of the Tohono O’odham (TO), a desert Indigenous community located along what is today known as the US/Mexico border. 

Ṣu:dagī ‘O Wuḍ Doakag (Water is Life) is a paid ecological restoration and rainwater harvesting internship that introduces youth to habitat restoration through the lens of culture and ecology. Youth learn the theories of rainwater harvesting, then harvest rain on the Baboquivari High School campus with hands-on activities as well as other learning opportunities. 

Now Hiring 

Now recruiting 10 interns for Ṣu:dagī ‘O Wuḍ Doakag 2022! We are back to in person learning and are excited to kick-off our next session of Water is Life. 

When:
Tuesdays, 3 PM - 5 PM November 29 - May 23, excluding holidays or school breaks
Field trips off campus once a month on Saturdays

Where: Baboquivari High School

HOW TO APPLY: To apply, students can pick-up applications at the front desk of Baboquivari High School, or from Mr. Carlos, or Mr. Davila.

​Completed applications should be returned to Mr. Carlos by the end of the school day on Tuesday, Nov. 15 with interviews for the program taking place that same week.  Student interns will be hired by Borderlands Restoration Network, earning $13.85/hr.

PROGRAM HISTORY

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BHS is located near Sells, AZ, the modern-day capital of the TO Nation along what today is recognized as the US/Mexico border. This large reservation, equal in land area to the state of Connecticut, is in the heart of the Sonoran Desert and receives less than 10” of rain per year.

While the TO have lived on these arid lands for many generations, the reservation's groundwater resources face increasing encroachment from Tucson’s urban sprawl and for concrete footers of the new border wall, endangering himdag for the people who have lived here long before Tucson was founded.

At a Climate Change Forum, TO youth discussed their endangered water resources, voicing a desire to preserve rainwater and groundwater, and to connect more deeply with their himdag or ‘Way of Life.’ 

Baboquivari High School and Borderlands Restoration Network collaborated to pilot an after-school program that hired BHS students to work alongside conservation professionals, designing and installing a rainwater-harvesting native plant and heritage food garden on campus. This program, called Ṣu:dagī ‘O Wuḍ Doakag, was designed for TO youth to learn valuable skills, training, and work experience. 
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​In 2018, Desert Diamond Casino and The North Face funded a one-year pilot program designed and coordinated by BHS and BRN staff. Thirteen BHS students were hired as interns working alongside conservation professionals, designing and installing a rainwater-harvesting native plant and heritage food garden on campus. 

The program concluded at the end of the school year with a community graduation ceremony, where youth guided tours of Ju:ki Oidag to visitors, shared a meal with the community, and received graduation certificates, In April 2019, the Ṣu:dagī ‘O Wuḍ Doakag program was presented the annual Stewardship Award by the Tohono O’odham Environmental Protection Office at the Tohono O’odham Nation’s Earth Day Festival.  In 2020 -21, the program adapted to a virtual format during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue offering programming. Now, in 2022 the program is back in person thanks to the generosity of Justice Outside and the Liberated Paths

Thank you partners & supporters!

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The Ṣu:dagī ‘O Wuḍ Doakag program relies on the generous support of donors, grants from foundations, and sponsorships to continue the program.  Contact us with questions about this program or to make a donation today!
DONATE TODAY!
Physical Address:
320-B School Street
​Patagonia, AZ 85624

Mailing Address:
PO Box 121
Patagonia, AZ 85624
General Contact:
E-mail: 
info@borderlandsrestoration.org
Phone Number: (520) 216-4148

​
Borderlands Nursery & Seed

42 San Antonio Road, Patagonia, AZ
www.borderlandsplants.org
​

Borderlands Wildlife Preserve
Patagonia, AZ

www.borderlandswildlifepreserve.org


Hours of Office Operation:
​

Monday-Thursday: 8AM-3PM
Friday: By Appointment
​Saturday-Sunday: Closed
​

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Copyright 2023-Borderlands Restoration Network
  • Who We Are
    • BRN Mission & Vision >
      • Policies
      • Annual Report
      • Strategic Plan
    • Equity, Inclusion, and Justice
    • Meet Our Team
    • BRN Fellows
    • Meet the Network >
      • Borderlands Restoration, L3c
      • Wildlife Corridors
      • Cuenca Los Ojos
    • Meet Our Partners
  • What we do
    • Education & Outreach >
      • Borderlands Earth Care Youth
      • Water is Life
      • Field Studies
      • Women Grow Food
      • Mesquite Workshops
      • Salud Comcaac
    • Native Plant Program >
      • Native Plant Program
      • Borderlands Nursery & Seed
      • Current Projects & Initiatives
      • Regional Seed Strategy
    • Watershed & Habitat Restoration >
      • Quail Habitat Restoration
      • Path Of The Jaguar
    • Borderlands Wildlife Preserve
  • News
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Join Us
    • Job Opportunities
    • Volunteer
    • ENewsletter
  • Blog
  • SHOP