Time traveling along the Gila River


Time-travel with me. We are Pima Indians, centuries ago, walking along the Gila River. But no, there are no centuries, only seasons, and the river is simply the river. And we are the people. You can leave your history books behind. Labels, and sharp edges, only exist in those books.

The river that we are walking along has looked the same for many, many, generations of our people. It floods, bringing life-giving water in the spring, which is now, and in the summer, it goes underground. This is the river that our people discovered when we first arrived here so many generations ago that there is no memory. The desert is a harsh place, but we survive here. This is our home. Like people all over the world, we have learned the art of agriculture, and as long as the water returns every season, we will stay here.

Different people visit our home. They are of different tribes, dressed strangely, speaking strange languages. If they come in peace, we welcome them. If not, we don't.

Thank you for time-traveling with me. If you'd like to return to your history books, your labels, and your sharp edges, that's fine, but I think I'll stay here a while.
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