Heritage Voices · The Archaeology Podcast Network

The Tohono O'odham Nation and Kitt Peak National Observatory: Building Relationships and Creating Resources - Ep 90

·1 hr 3 min·4 clips

The lease was signed in 1958, and the observatory sits within the Shukthuak District on sacred mountain land.

Jessica Aquinto opens the episode with a land acknowledgement and a direct introduction to the topic. Dr. Giselle Ramon-Sabaran joins the conversation and explains her role as the Tonawattam Nation Education Development Liaison for NUR Lab that oversees Kitt Peak National Observatory. She also describes her work as an adjunct instructor at Tonawattam Community College. Her background includes board service with Friends of Tucson's Birthplace and Friends of Soro National Park. The episode stays close to the day-to-day work of relationship-building. One thread is communication after a period of disruption. Dr. Ramon-Sabaran talks about creating newsletters so people across the nation can receive updates in forms that fit different levels of internet access. She describes the value of making the newsletter available electronically and in print. Another thread is direct community presence. The episode discusses a big open night in May for tribal members that brought people up for telescope visits, portable telescopes, kid-friendly activities, the visitor center, and the gift shop. That gathering is framed as a chance to say the observatory is open again and to clarify who is in the role, while helping with communication and rebuilding. The conversation also keeps returning to balance. Dr. Ramon-Sabaran connects that idea to himatug, or way of life, and explains that balance is central to how she approaches the liaison role. The observatory is described as residing within the Tonawattam Nation, specifically the Shukthuwak District, on top of a sacred mountain known in O'odham as Ilgum Thuwag, or Manzanita Shrub Mountain. It is also called Ithoy's Garden, linking the place to creator knowledge and sacred history. That framing gives the episode its shape. It is about building resources, but also about honoring a relationship that already exists and repairing the communication around it. The tone stays patient and respectful throughout. Jessica asks warm questions and lets Dr. Ramon-Sabaran's answers unfold without rushing them. The result is less a polished institutional briefing than a careful account of the work that happens between people, places, and responsibilities. It closes by returning to gratitude and the importance of continuing the work together.

As heard by us

A steady conversation about trust, land, and the patient work of shared purpose.

This episode follows the Tonawattam Nation and Kitt Peak National Observatory through Dr. Giselle Ramon-Sabaran's account of trust, communication, and shared resources.

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Why you'd press play

If you want a grounded story about the Tonawattam Nation, Kitt Peak National Observatory, and relationship-building, start here.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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