The Subaipuri O’odham were farmers who lived along the rivers of southeastern Arizona before and during the time of Spanish contact in the 16th century to the present. They were one of the most influential and powerful indigenous groups in the region. The Subaipuri O’odham were irrigation farmers who occupied permanent settlements in the narrow and verdant valleys of the Santa Cruz, San Pedro, and Gila Rivers that are surrounded by desert. Because of their location, the Subaipuri were also heavily involved in Native and European trade, as the main routes followed the rivers.
The author, an independent archaeologist, has spent decades seeking to understand these people through extensive archaeological fieldwork as well as conversations with direct descendants. Using all the latest techniques, she sheds new light on their use of the landscape, settlement patterns, and way of life. This is an important addition to the study of Arizona’s indigenous people who were little understood until Seymour launched these investigations.
– by Mark Michel
