PHOTO ESSAY: Tohono O’odham families carry on sacred saguaro fruit harvest in Arizona borderlands

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — The saguaro cactus is the iconic plant of the Arizona borderlands, and in June and early July, its thorn-covered small fruit ripens.

For members of the Tohono O’odham Nation, whose ancestors have lived in this hot desert for thousands of years, harvest time for the “bahidaj” is sacred.

The towering saguaros — which live 200 years and routinely reach 25 feet (7.6 meters) in height — are part of the O’odham creation story, and are considered family.

“We were all taught that they were family, they are family to us,” said Maria Francisco after harvesting near her extended family’s camp in the foothills west of Tucson. “So we have a very great respect for them. And we pray to them and we thank them.”

The saguaro fruit is boiled and strained until it becomes a naturally sweet syrup. Some of it is fermented to make wine for annual ceremonies asking the Creator to send the monsoon rains that render desert life possible — and mark the O’odham new year.

For many families, harvest time is also an opportunity to pass down the traditions and centuries-old knowledge enjoying a resurgence as more youth rediscover their ancestral ways.

“It’s just important for the generations to be out here, to see this,” said Tanisha Tucker Lohse, Francisco’s cousin.

The two women are carrying on the legacy of an ancestor, Juanita Ahil, who in the 1960s advocated for continued access to their harvesting land after it became part of Saguaro National Park. In her memory, a Mass is also celebrated at the camp on St. John the Baptist’s feast day, since many O’odham integrate Catholic and Native beliefs.

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This is a documentary photo story curated by AP photo editors.

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