Tohono O’odham rodeo returns, blending tradition and technology
The 86th Tohono O’odham Nation Rodeo and Fair brought together over 30,000 attendees for three days of cultural festivities, traditional games, and modern community engagement.
The Tohono O’odham Nation Rodeo and Fair made a grand return this season, bringing three days of cultural festivities, community engagement and excitement for the 86th year.
The event provided a space for more than 30,000 members of the Tohono O’odham Nation and surrounding communities to come together and enjoy a variety of free attractions, including rodeo events, live entertainment, carnival rides and more.
The celebration also featured cultural elements, such as Waila dance contests, a Ha’a Race, where women carry large pottery vessels on their heads, and the Toka tournament, which is similar to field hockey.
Beyond entertainment, the event also served as an opportunity for attendees to learn about various local community resources. Several information booths were present, including the Tohono O’odham Utility Authority, which oversees the nation’s telephone, water, internet, and electric services.
As part of their annual participation, the authority engaged with the community by hosting a gaming tournament.
“We want people to feel that technology is not a scary thing. It can be fun. It can be used through all ages, young and old. That’s why we chose to host this gaming tournament,” said Kristan Johnson, the telephone operations manager for TOUA. “We also brought in aspects of the community, our youth, in helping us understand what is popular and new today. A lot of places we are visiting on the reservation, they think like, well, we don’t want this.”
By hosting the tournament, TOUA provided the local community an opportunity to learn and engage with evolving technology, while competing for prizes, which included a PlayStation 5 gaming system.
TOUA plans to bring the gaming tournament to a variety of community events across the Tohono O’odham Nation, offering a fun and engaging way to educate communities they serve about new technology.
While the gaming tournament created a modern space for connection and friendly competition, the O’odham continue to uphold their cultural traditions by incorporating traditional games into the rodeo and fair.
Led by April Ignacio, the event was able to bring people together in a modern way, bridging generations through the shared experience of friendly rivalry.
The O’odham continue to uphold their cultural traditions with events such as the Toka Tournament and Ha’a races to allow community members to compete in friendly rivalries while practicing and preserving tradition.
Toka, a traditional O’odham women’s game played for generations; is similar to field hockey, with women from various communities and teams gathering at the fair to compete.
“I play the game with my family, and for the fun of it. The family that it brings — all of us on the field — we call ourselves ‘Toka sisters,’” said Toka player Winona Little Owl-Ignacio. “Being able to not only practice with them but play with or against them that’s something we are able to share. My sister plays on a different team. I think it’s so fun playing against her.”
Women travel to participate in the tournament, building connections across multiple generations, as young girls continue to grow up playing the game.
“We sometimes travel so far for these tournaments because we all know we all get to see each other, and that there are generations on the field — watching the players and getting to see them grow as players and women,” said Little Owl-Ignacio.
As the Toka tournament wrapped up, the energy shifted to another important form of expression of community and tradition — the Waila, a celebration that brings together people of all ages. Waila is a type of social dance music adopted by the Tohono O’odham from the Spanish.
As the sun set on the third day of the fair, Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Verlon Jose thanked attendees, volunteers and sponsors, telling them that the event served as a reminder of the strength and importance of their community.
“This event is all about you,” Jose told the crowd. “The tribal council said years ago, this event is about putting on an event for the people.”
Trinity Norris is a graduate student in the University of Arizona school of journalism, freelance journalist and member of the Toronto O'odham Nation.
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