Mayor Romero, Council Member Santa Cruz Introduce Item to Begin the Return of Ancestral Lands from the City of Tucson to the Tohono O’odham Nation
April 18, 2023
#Landback: A potential major win! But we still need to protect ALL of Tucson’s birthplace.
Last week the Ward 1 Office of Council Member Lane Santa Cruz issued a press release announcing that “the Tucson City Council voted unanimously to begin the process that will return 10.6 acres of ancestral lands back to the Tohono O’odham Nation.” Please see our above graphic which identifies the area (in green) being discussed.
This is a positive development and completion of this process would be historic! Thank you to Council Member Santa Cruz, Mayor Romero and Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris Jr. for their leadership on facilitating a positive future at this site.
It’s also important to acknowledge that many people who have worked to make this possible over the years, especially the grassroots O’odham organizers who made a powerful statement to Mayor & Council to this effect in 2017, which hopefully will be available on the website soon.
There is more to be done. As can be seen in the above graphic, while 10.6 acres has begun the process of #Landback,
the ~28 acre “parcel” to the south is still “owned”
and controlled by Rio Nuevo.
This area (in orange) is the focus of our collective efforts as TBOSC.
Add your name in support of permanent open space at this site!
According to statements made by Board Chair Fletcher McCusker in fall 2022, Rio Nuevo informally offered the return this area also to the T.O. Nation, but conversations did not progress due to the former landfill still present there.
There are many complications and perspectives on this land, and yet we believe that by getting to know each other, listening, and working together, it is possible to ensure this land remains open space now and for generations to come.