Thunder in the Desert

A ten-day festival is taking place in Indian Country; it began in December and it continues. I won’t be able to attend, but fellow travelers in the region should contemplate taking in some of this event. “Thunder in the Desert 2012” is being held at Rillito Raceway Park in Tucson until January 8. Music concerts, including open-invitation guitar-playing, art exhibits, storytelling, equestrian events, and dancing will be featured. One special program is a midnight friendship dance that took place on New Year’s Eve. What intrigues me is the opportunity for Native and non-Native interaction. Check out more information at www.facebook.com/thunderinthedesert to see what will transpire. There is still much cultural misunderstanding about Indian heritage and spirituality. In worse cases, Indian beliefs have been hijacked to fulfill fanciful non-Native desires.

This event promises a chance to come together and see what is genuine and what is not. For those who do attend, especially tourists, can you send us a report?

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