Knowledge from the Land: Tempe Town Lake Walk and Run
How many times have you passed by the canals sprawling throughout the greater Phoenix and Maricopa County areas? The canals imprint the story of an ancient technology that the Hohokam people developed around A.D. 200, long before the arrival of Columbus. Using handheld digging tools, this ancient civilization removed tons of earth and engineered the largest pre-Columbian irrigation system in the Western hemisphere. It is no surprise that most major cities in northern America were built upon ancient ruins and cities due to advanced technologies designed for successful agriculture. The Labriola American Indian Data Center encourages the community to join us and learn more about the history and the people whose lands we reside on. In the early morning light on Saturday, Nov. 19, members of the Salt River Pima Indian community will share the history of these mysterious and tremendous canals that made the desert a place of possibility for growing corn, squash, beans, pumpkins and cotton.
Afterwards, there will be a run and a walk to create a connection with body and earth, to honor the people before us and the Indigenous communities that still reside here.
Register for this event. Be sure to bring comfortable clothes, a water bottle or waterpack, a hat and running or walking shoes. We look forward to seeing you there!