“This text reveals [Fontana’s] interaction with his [Tohono O’odham] neighbors and how geography and climate define life and culture in this piece of dry land. Fontana’s words introduce the reader to people and provide an excellent overview of tribal history, but no notice of this book can overlook John P. Schaefer’s photographs . . . [which] give the reader a feeling for what day-to-day life is like . . . for the 12,000 or so people who call Papaguería their homeland.”—Journal of Arizona History

Bernard L. Fontana is the author of many articles and books, including Entrada: The Legacy of Spain and Mexico in the United States. He is also the author of Biography of a Desert Church: The Story of Mission San Xavier del Bac, which remains the standard source on the mission’s history.

“An unsurpassed insight into the [Tohono O’odham] world, past and present.”—Arizona Highways
 
“Fontana, who has lived at the edge of the [Tohono O’odham] Reservation for decades, provides sympathetic insight into the history and lifeways of [the Tohono O’odham]. Schaefer’s photographs, many of them portraits, add timeliness and immediate presence.”—Books of the Southwest

“A sensitive and appreciative photo and narrative look at the [Tohono O’odham] Indians. . . . The book is well-written and . . . Schaefer’s art adds to the narrative. The book deserves a wide readership.”—Journal of Arizona History