Pati Jinich travels from Nogales through the border region of New Mexico…
La Frontera: Season 2, Episode 2 - Ancient Seeds & Desert Ghosts
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
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Pati Jinich travels along both sides of the Arizona-Sonora border through some of the most untouched places in North America. She explores a playground for dentists, hunts for an ancient chile, meets the caretaker of a ghost town, drops water for migrants in the desert, meets a painter with a dark past, and much more.
Series Description
Savor the sights, sounds, and flavors of the U.S.-Mexico border alongside acclaimed chef and James Beard Award-winning host Pati Jinich as she experiences the region’s rich culture, people, and cuisine. Travel with Pati to El Paso, Ciudad Juárez, Laredo, Nuevo Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville as she shares meals with locals from all walks of life and reflects on the melding of cultures.
Citation
Main credits
Durlach, Darren (film director)
Elvir, Renier (film producer)
Jinich, Pati (host)
Jinich, Pati (creator)
Other credits
Cinematography, Tyler Davis; editors, Scott Snider [and 6 others].
Distributor subjects
Culture + Identity; Migration Studies; Latinx; Agriculture + Food; GeographyKeywords
00:00:01.067 --> 00:00:03.267
Viewers like you make
this program possible.
00:00:03.267 --> 00:00:05.333
Support your local PBS station.
00:00:08.500 --> 00:00:10.033
Pati, voice-over:
Lost highways...
00:00:12.367 --> 00:00:14.267
Leslie: This is
a deadly place.
00:00:14.267 --> 00:00:16.167
Pati, voice-over:
Ghost haunting desert trails...
00:00:16.167 --> 00:00:17.500
Leslie: You see
the bullet holes?
00:00:17.500 --> 00:00:18.867
Yeah.
00:00:18.867 --> 00:00:20.167
Pati, voice-over:
And ancient seeds.
00:00:20.167 --> 00:00:21.433
I love it.
00:00:21.433 --> 00:00:23.200
It has that toasty flavor.
Smoky flavor.
00:00:25.100 --> 00:00:26.767
Pati, voice-over:
The borderlands consist
00:00:26.767 --> 00:00:28.533
of some
of the most wild,
00:00:28.533 --> 00:00:30.700
untouched places
in North America,
00:00:30.700 --> 00:00:32.700
steeped in legend
and tradition.
00:00:32.700 --> 00:00:34.767
Man: Raised in this
region for thousands
00:00:34.767 --> 00:00:36.433
and thousands of years.
00:00:36.433 --> 00:00:39.267
Cheers!
00:00:39.267 --> 00:00:41.733
Pati, voice-over: But none
more so than the border
00:00:41.733 --> 00:00:44.000
between Arizona
and Sonora.
00:00:45.733 --> 00:00:48.167
The piercing beauty
of the Sonoran desert
00:00:48.167 --> 00:00:50.600
is matched only
by the compassion
00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:53.600
of those who are
called to help.
00:00:53.600 --> 00:00:54.867
This same landscape
00:00:54.867 --> 00:00:56.767
that makes
your heart sing
00:00:56.767 --> 00:00:58.600
is also a place
of suffering
00:00:58.600 --> 00:01:00.733
for many looking
for a better life.
00:01:00.733 --> 00:01:03.067
This is like one
small thing I can do.
00:01:04.733 --> 00:01:06.100
Excelente.
00:01:06.100 --> 00:01:07.700
Pati, voice-over:
But the harsh conditions
00:01:07.700 --> 00:01:10.033
are also a place of hope
for the future.
00:01:10.033 --> 00:01:11.867
Let's weave our way
this way.
00:01:11.867 --> 00:01:14.367
Pati, voice-over: A lab of sorts
for researchers studying
00:01:14.367 --> 00:01:17.067
the resiliency of food
that thrives here
00:01:17.067 --> 00:01:19.400
in ever climbing
global temperatures.
00:01:19.400 --> 00:01:20.667
It's beautiful
00:01:20.667 --> 00:01:21.933
Pati:
It's so beautiful.
00:01:23.033 --> 00:01:25.600
Hello. You're gonna
give me a ride?
00:01:25.600 --> 00:01:27.700
Pati, voice-over: But we'll
start from where we left off,
00:01:27.700 --> 00:01:29.367
at the very edge
of Baja California
00:01:29.367 --> 00:01:31.267
in Los Algodones.
00:01:31.267 --> 00:01:32.733
Pati: Whoa!
00:01:32.733 --> 00:01:34.167
Pati, voice-over:
Where perhaps we found
00:01:34.167 --> 00:01:35.900
the most wild place
of all.
00:01:35.900 --> 00:01:38.067
Pati: Oh, so all of this
are dental, dental, dental.
00:01:38.067 --> 00:01:40.500
Pati, voice-over:
A town of dentists.
00:01:40.500 --> 00:01:41.500
Show me something.
00:01:41.500 --> 00:01:42.500
Come, come.
00:01:42.500 --> 00:01:44.367
Show me.
00:01:45.500 --> 00:01:48.233
Una, dos, tres.
00:01:48.233 --> 00:01:50.233
Pati, voice-over:
I'm Pati Jinich.
00:01:50.233 --> 00:01:51.567
I'm a chef.
00:01:51.567 --> 00:01:53.100
A writer and immigrant.
00:01:53.100 --> 00:01:55.500
On this season
I'm traveling the border
00:01:55.500 --> 00:01:56.867
from California and Baja
00:01:56.867 --> 00:01:58.767
to New Mexico
and Chihuahua
00:01:58.767 --> 00:02:00.600
to uncover the stories
beneath the headlines
00:02:00.600 --> 00:02:02.767
and celebrate
the beauty of the people
00:02:02.767 --> 00:02:04.500
who call themselves
"fronterizos."
00:02:04.500 --> 00:02:05.867
Really?
00:02:05.867 --> 00:02:07.667
Pati, voice-over:
Mexico is my heart.
00:02:07.667 --> 00:02:10.400
The United States is
now my home.
00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:12.500
And in the space between
00:02:12.500 --> 00:02:14.367
is "La Frontera."
00:02:22.200 --> 00:02:23.867
Pati, voice-over:
Los Algodones
00:02:23.867 --> 00:02:25.267
is the northernmost
point in Mexico
00:02:25.267 --> 00:02:27.267
and located
on the farthest edge
00:02:27.267 --> 00:02:29.033
of Baja California.
00:02:29.033 --> 00:02:32.033
It's surrounded
by 45 miles of sand dunes
00:02:32.033 --> 00:02:34.733
that were once used
by the U.S. military
00:02:34.733 --> 00:02:38.000
for desert warfare
training in World War II.
00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:40.500
But I'm here for
a very different reason.
00:02:40.500 --> 00:02:43.667
I'm here to face
my dentophobia.
00:02:43.667 --> 00:02:45.133
Welcome to a town
that is said to have
00:02:45.133 --> 00:02:47.033
more dentists
per square mile
00:02:47.033 --> 00:02:49.667
than any other place
in the world.
00:02:50.700 --> 00:02:51.700
Pati: Josué.
00:02:51.700 --> 00:02:53.000
Hello, hello.
00:02:53.000 --> 00:02:55.167
Hello. You're gonna
give me a ride?
00:02:55.167 --> 00:02:56.167
Sí.
00:02:56.167 --> 00:02:57.567
Let's do it.
00:02:57.567 --> 00:02:59.233
Pati, voice-over: Josué is
a local who works for one
00:02:59.233 --> 00:03:01.367
of the hundreds
of clinics in town.
00:03:01.367 --> 00:03:03.967
He is tasked with driving
around a golf cart
00:03:03.967 --> 00:03:06.667
and bringing Americans
to and from the border
00:03:06.667 --> 00:03:08.033
for their appointments.
00:03:08.033 --> 00:03:09.667
Josué: So that one is
the line to go back
00:03:09.667 --> 00:03:11.333
and then there's people
going back walking.
00:03:11.333 --> 00:03:12.333
That's the line.
00:03:12.333 --> 00:03:13.733
Oh, wow!
00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:16.967
Pati, voice-over: The cost
of healthcare in the U.S.
00:03:16.967 --> 00:03:18.900
is causing
many U.S. citizens
00:03:18.900 --> 00:03:20.700
to look for more
affordable ways
00:03:20.700 --> 00:03:22.233
to get dental work,
00:03:22.233 --> 00:03:25.667
turning the borderlands
into a medical paradise.
00:03:25.667 --> 00:03:27.200
Pati: Are a lot of
people moving here
00:03:27.200 --> 00:03:28.667
to provide services?
00:03:28.667 --> 00:03:31.800
Josué: Yeah, yeah, there's
a lot of new dentists.
00:03:31.800 --> 00:03:34.233
There's always new
dental assistants. Yeah.
00:03:34.233 --> 00:03:35.967
The patients come
from all over?
00:03:35.967 --> 00:03:37.333
Yeah, they come from
all over Europe,
00:03:37.333 --> 00:03:41.167
Canada, Kansas City.
You know, anywhere.
00:03:41.167 --> 00:03:43.833
Pati, voice-over:
In the late 1800s,
00:03:43.833 --> 00:03:46.367
the Southern Pacific
Railroad opened
00:03:46.367 --> 00:03:47.733
a connection to the west
00:03:47.733 --> 00:03:49.333
that brought
immigrants as labor,
00:03:49.333 --> 00:03:53.833
some of whom settled in
and around Los Algodones.
00:03:53.833 --> 00:03:57.000
The agricultural era
began, and cotton was
00:03:57.000 --> 00:03:59.233
heavily harvested
in the area.
00:03:59.233 --> 00:04:01.467
Hence, the name
"Los Algodones,"
00:04:01.467 --> 00:04:03.000
or cotton plants.
00:04:04.700 --> 00:04:06.167
During prohibition,
00:04:06.167 --> 00:04:08.400
Los Algodones saw
its first tourism boom
00:04:08.400 --> 00:04:11.667
with many visiting
for its cantinas and bars.
00:04:11.667 --> 00:04:13.900
[Speaking Spanish]
00:04:24.700 --> 00:04:26.367
Pati, voice-over:
Lupita Zazueta started
00:04:26.367 --> 00:04:29.133
her famous street tacos
stand 20 years ago.
00:04:29.133 --> 00:04:32.233
And the constant flow
of doctors and patients
00:04:32.233 --> 00:04:35.000
has allowed her to expand
her food business,
00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:37.067
and even get into
real estate.
00:04:37.067 --> 00:04:39.833
She now owns buildings
she rents to the dentists
00:04:39.833 --> 00:04:41.633
and pharmacies.
00:04:41.633 --> 00:04:44.000
[Speaking Spanish]
00:05:35.300 --> 00:05:42.700
[Music]
00:05:42.700 --> 00:05:45.533
¡Mmm!
00:05:45.533 --> 00:05:48.000
[Speaking Spanish]
00:06:02.333 --> 00:06:04.033
Pati, voice-over:
In auspicious times,
00:06:04.033 --> 00:06:07.333
Los Algodones can see up
to 10,000 patients a day.
00:06:07.333 --> 00:06:09.700
The population
of the entire town
00:06:09.700 --> 00:06:11.500
is only around 5000.
00:06:11.500 --> 00:06:14.000
Man: We're from Marana,
which is, like, Tucson.
00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:16.900
OK. OK.
How far is that?
00:06:16.900 --> 00:06:19.333
190 miles.
Something like that.
00:06:19.333 --> 00:06:20.967
180 miles.
00:06:20.967 --> 00:06:23.000
We came to get some
dental work done, actually.
00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:24.300
Yeah?
00:06:24.300 --> 00:06:26.167
Is this your first time
doing dental work here?
00:06:26.167 --> 00:06:27.533
Yes, yeah.
00:06:27.533 --> 00:06:28.867
And how did you hear
about it?
00:06:28.867 --> 00:06:30.467
My aunt came here.
00:06:30.467 --> 00:06:31.833
OK.
00:06:31.833 --> 00:06:33.467
And she gave
a really good report.
00:06:33.467 --> 00:06:35.700
Have you had
good experiences here?
00:06:35.700 --> 00:06:37.367
Oh, you did!
00:06:37.367 --> 00:06:39.367
That's why you have
such a beautiful smile.
00:06:39.367 --> 00:06:40.633
That's why he said,
00:06:40.633 --> 00:06:42.133
"I'm glad I spent
all this money."
00:06:42.133 --> 00:06:43.667
Because I told him
he had a nice smile.
00:06:43.667 --> 00:06:45.567
Oh, like, every time
you need dental work,
00:06:45.567 --> 00:06:46.667
you come here.
00:06:46.667 --> 00:06:47.733
Here, yeah.
00:06:47.733 --> 00:06:49.333
[Speaking Spanish]
00:06:49.333 --> 00:06:51.300
[Laughing]
00:06:51.300 --> 00:06:53.333
Pati, voice-over: Three
blocks away is the Figueroa,
00:06:53.333 --> 00:06:56.300
a mother-father-and-son
team who moved here
00:06:56.300 --> 00:06:57.833
from Guadalajara, Mexico,
00:06:57.833 --> 00:07:01.300
following the gold rush
of medical tourism.
00:07:01.300 --> 00:07:04.000
[Speaking Spanish]
00:07:16.667 --> 00:07:18.867
Pati, voice-over:
In Guadalajara in 1992,
00:07:18.867 --> 00:07:21.200
a series of sudden explosions
00:07:21.200 --> 00:07:22.467
caused by a gas leak
00:07:22.467 --> 00:07:24.133
killed more than 200 people
00:07:24.133 --> 00:07:26.900
and leveled 20 square
city blocks.
00:07:28.200 --> 00:07:30.300
[Speaking Spanish]
00:07:36.400 --> 00:07:39.000
Pati, voice-over: Somewhere
along the 1200 miles
00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:41.133
from Guadalajara to Algodones,
00:07:41.133 --> 00:07:43.833
their moving truck disappeared.
00:07:43.833 --> 00:07:45.967
And they ended up
in a new town
00:07:45.967 --> 00:07:48.833
with nothing,
but their suitcases.
00:07:48.833 --> 00:07:50.367
But the people
at the borderlands
00:07:50.367 --> 00:07:51.800
surprised them.
00:07:51.800 --> 00:07:54.633
[Speaking Spanish]
00:08:17.033 --> 00:08:18.767
Lugoj: Come, I'll
show you something.
00:08:18.767 --> 00:08:20.667
Show me something.
Show me.
00:08:20.667 --> 00:08:23.033
Oh, oh, Dracula.
00:08:23.033 --> 00:08:24.433
Yeah, you see?
00:08:24.433 --> 00:08:25.967
Transylvania.
00:08:25.967 --> 00:08:27.633
You're actually
from Dracula's town?
00:08:27.633 --> 00:08:30.200
Yes, I came with
all my family here.
00:08:30.200 --> 00:08:33.800
My son had big trouble
in mouth, in teeth.
00:08:33.800 --> 00:08:36.667
They removed
all the teeth.
00:08:36.667 --> 00:08:38.867
He did the best surgery,
00:08:38.867 --> 00:08:40.667
they made the best teeth
for him.
00:08:40.667 --> 00:08:42.967
OK, but you love it.
00:08:42.967 --> 00:08:43.967
I love it.
00:08:43.967 --> 00:08:44.800
Yeah.
00:08:44.800 --> 00:08:47.133
[Speaking Spanish]
00:09:05.433 --> 00:09:07.600
Pati, voice-over: The people
are warm and welcoming
00:09:07.600 --> 00:09:10.133
and the tacos here
were amazing.
00:09:10.133 --> 00:09:13.133
But I'm always on the hunt
for more heat.
00:09:15.800 --> 00:09:18.467
I'm leaving Baja California
and making my way
00:09:18.467 --> 00:09:21.367
to where the wild things grow.
00:09:21.367 --> 00:09:24.433
In one of the most remote
places in the Sonoran Desert
00:09:24.433 --> 00:09:25.933
of Southern Arizona
00:09:25.933 --> 00:09:28.300
I'm hunting for a treasure
00:09:28.300 --> 00:09:29.933
thousands of years old.
00:09:29.933 --> 00:09:31.300
Pati:
This is so exciting.
00:09:31.300 --> 00:09:34.433
I mean, this is like a--
like a chile hunt,
00:09:34.433 --> 00:09:35.433
a chile hike.
00:09:35.433 --> 00:09:36.700
I've never done that
00:09:36.700 --> 00:09:38.467
and I'm obsessed
with chiles.
00:09:38.467 --> 00:09:40.967
Pati, voice-over: The foods
I love, cook and eat
00:09:40.967 --> 00:09:44.133
all have one thing
in common: the chile.
00:09:44.133 --> 00:09:46.800
Pati: So you see
all the way up there.
00:09:46.800 --> 00:09:48.800
We're gonna go up there
just to find some
00:09:48.800 --> 00:09:50.633
really yummy chiles.
00:09:50.633 --> 00:09:51.833
Pati, voice-over:
Not just any chile,
00:09:51.833 --> 00:09:53.433
the chiltepin chile
00:09:53.433 --> 00:09:55.633
is believed to be the original
00:09:55.633 --> 00:09:58.967
from which all the other
chiles have evolved.
00:09:58.967 --> 00:10:01.600
I'm trusting the maternal
spirit of Erin.
00:10:01.600 --> 00:10:02.967
That's the way
to do it.
00:10:02.967 --> 00:10:04.333
All right.
00:10:04.333 --> 00:10:05.800
Pati, voice-over: Which is
why the husband and wife
00:10:05.800 --> 00:10:07.200
desert research team
00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:10.333
of Erin Riordan
and Benjamin Wilder
00:10:10.333 --> 00:10:12.867
based in Tucson, Arizona,
are interested
00:10:12.867 --> 00:10:14.967
in studying them in the wild.
00:10:14.967 --> 00:10:17.500
If chiltepines can survive
for thousands of years
00:10:17.500 --> 00:10:18.967
in the Sonoran desert,
00:10:18.967 --> 00:10:21.200
one of the hottest places
in North America,
00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:23.533
then what can we learn
about growing food
00:10:23.533 --> 00:10:25.100
in a hotter future?
00:10:26.300 --> 00:10:28.200
The reason the chiltepin
has survived is
00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:30.967
the same reason
it's so hard to find,
00:10:30.967 --> 00:10:32.633
it grows in small bushes
00:10:32.633 --> 00:10:35.100
in sheltered areas
under trees and rocks
00:10:35.100 --> 00:10:37.800
that protect it from
the harsh environment.
00:10:37.800 --> 00:10:39.967
So up we go.
00:10:39.967 --> 00:10:41.433
OK.
00:10:41.433 --> 00:10:44.300
After hours of climbing...
00:10:44.300 --> 00:10:45.833
Oh, there it is!
00:10:45.833 --> 00:10:49.633
[Pati Speaking Spanish]
00:10:49.633 --> 00:10:51.167
So red.
00:10:51.167 --> 00:10:53.133
Wait, there's more there,
there's one over there.
00:10:53.133 --> 00:10:55.967
I have never seen them
in the wild.
00:10:55.967 --> 00:10:57.133
Would you like one?
00:10:57.133 --> 00:10:58.200
Yes, please.
00:10:58.200 --> 00:10:59.467
[Laughs]
00:10:59.467 --> 00:11:02.667
So shiny and bright.
00:11:02.667 --> 00:11:03.667
Just beautiful.
00:11:03.667 --> 00:11:05.367
So beautiful.
00:11:05.367 --> 00:11:08.667
This is where every salsa
that you have tried began.
00:11:08.667 --> 00:11:10.000
Salud.
00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:11.033
Salud.
00:11:12.500 --> 00:11:14.433
You don't get
more wild than this.
00:11:14.433 --> 00:11:17.267
Oh, wow.
00:11:17.267 --> 00:11:19.033
Oh!
00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:22.000
Ah, ah, ah.
00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:24.433
Wow, wow.
00:11:24.433 --> 00:11:25.867
And it's a little numbing.
00:11:25.867 --> 00:11:27.433
Like my tongue feels
a little,
00:11:27.433 --> 00:11:29.200
but, like,
deliciously numb.
00:11:29.200 --> 00:11:31.833
It's the first chile
experience I've had
00:11:31.833 --> 00:11:35.133
where every second
that is passing
00:11:35.133 --> 00:11:36.633
is just changing.
00:11:36.633 --> 00:11:39.100
It's just, like,
I feel it all over.
00:11:39.100 --> 00:11:40.767
One of the things
that I love about them
00:11:40.767 --> 00:11:43.467
is not just the heat,
which there's a lot of.
00:11:43.467 --> 00:11:45.000
But there's also
that flavor.
00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:49.200
Oh, the taste,
it's a little citrusy.
00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:50.367
It's very complex.
00:11:50.367 --> 00:11:51.800
So why is it to you
00:11:51.800 --> 00:11:53.333
that it's at thing
worth studying?
00:11:53.333 --> 00:11:55.000
Erin: One of the things
that I love about
00:11:55.000 --> 00:11:56.033
this chile is
00:11:56.033 --> 00:11:57.767
because it is
a wild ancestor
00:11:57.767 --> 00:11:59.300
of our other
domesticated crops,
00:11:59.300 --> 00:12:01.667
it's really retained
all of these qualities
00:12:01.667 --> 00:12:03.133
that we've tried
to tame.
00:12:03.133 --> 00:12:05.533
If you think about
how we grow food,
00:12:05.533 --> 00:12:06.700
and the crops that
a lot of us are
00:12:06.700 --> 00:12:07.967
really familiar
with today.
00:12:07.967 --> 00:12:09.700
Well, they're kind
of wimpy.
00:12:09.700 --> 00:12:10.967
They wouldn't be able
to handle it out here.
00:12:10.967 --> 00:12:12.633
They can't,
they're shy.
00:12:12.633 --> 00:12:14.800
And so, in one way,
it's just a...
00:12:14.800 --> 00:12:16.867
a lot of information
to learn about the chile
00:12:16.867 --> 00:12:19.333
and its history
and its cultural uses.
00:12:19.333 --> 00:12:20.867
But there's also
00:12:20.867 --> 00:12:22.267
a lot to learn about
how maybe we can use
00:12:22.267 --> 00:12:23.967
this plant to help
bring back some
00:12:23.967 --> 00:12:25.467
of that hardiness
that it still has
00:12:25.467 --> 00:12:27.000
in the wild
to other crops,
00:12:27.000 --> 00:12:28.967
and maybe that can help us when
we're coping
00:12:28.967 --> 00:12:30.800
with temperatures
that are getting hotter.
00:12:30.800 --> 00:12:33.133
There's been such
a close connection
00:12:33.133 --> 00:12:34.333
between people,
00:12:34.333 --> 00:12:35.533
and this plant,
in particular,
00:12:35.533 --> 00:12:38.133
for, at minimum,
8000 years.
00:12:38.133 --> 00:12:40.800
So when we're trying
to understand how people
00:12:40.800 --> 00:12:42.967
have changed the crops
00:12:42.967 --> 00:12:45.433
or the plants
of the region,
00:12:45.433 --> 00:12:46.533
you need to look
no further,
00:12:46.533 --> 00:12:47.767
than as you said it,
00:12:47.767 --> 00:12:49.367
the mother
of all chiles.
00:12:49.367 --> 00:12:50.800
Pati: Yeah.
00:12:50.800 --> 00:12:52.000
Pati, voice-over:
If a chile can survive
00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:53.633
for thousands of years,
00:12:53.633 --> 00:12:55.200
then our team
should be just fine
00:12:55.200 --> 00:12:59.033
driving the unmarked roads
out of the desert.
00:12:59.033 --> 00:13:00.200
Oh-oh.
00:13:01.300 --> 00:13:04.333
So I drove the car
into the mud.
00:13:04.333 --> 00:13:06.800
The second time that
I do it in two days,
00:13:06.800 --> 00:13:09.967
which isn't bad,
it is actually bad.
00:13:09.967 --> 00:13:11.467
Pati, voice-over:
Erin and Ben are
00:13:11.467 --> 00:13:12.867
the only people
who know the area
00:13:12.867 --> 00:13:14.633
and they left
20 minutes ago.
00:13:14.633 --> 00:13:17.267
And we have
no cell-service.
00:13:17.267 --> 00:13:18.933
Man: Pati, you wanna
come see the road
00:13:18.933 --> 00:13:20.433
that you're driving down?
00:13:20.433 --> 00:13:23.100
I mean, they just told
me, "Go left, go..."
00:13:23.100 --> 00:13:25.433
Oh, my God!
00:13:25.433 --> 00:13:27.100
This is the road.
00:13:27.100 --> 00:13:28.767
[Laughs]
00:13:28.767 --> 00:13:30.333
I drove the car
into a creek.
00:13:30.333 --> 00:13:32.933
Our producer Ren
is somewhere searching
00:13:32.933 --> 00:13:35.133
for a signal to call
Erin and Ben.
00:13:35.133 --> 00:13:38.133
And everybody...
everybody's optimistic.
00:13:38.133 --> 00:13:40.100
Yeah, yeah.
00:13:40.100 --> 00:13:43.267
We're waiting to be
saved at this point.
00:13:43.267 --> 00:13:45.500
Pati, voice-over: And just
in the nick of time.
00:13:45.500 --> 00:13:50.100
Yay! Woo-hoo!
00:13:52.100 --> 00:13:55.433
Pati, voice-over: Miraculously,
Ben has a four-wheel drive
00:13:55.433 --> 00:13:56.733
and a wench.
00:13:59.467 --> 00:14:01.933
Yo, stop, OK.
00:14:01.933 --> 00:14:03.267
Looks like we're out.
00:14:03.267 --> 00:14:04.333
Show goes on.
00:14:04.333 --> 00:14:05.667
Yay!
00:14:05.667 --> 00:14:08.333
[Horn honking]
00:14:08.333 --> 00:14:10.100
Pati, voice-over:
This is the true beauty
00:14:10.100 --> 00:14:11.167
of the border.
00:14:11.167 --> 00:14:12.933
United by the chiltepin,
00:14:12.933 --> 00:14:15.500
our friendship
sealed by kindness.
00:14:20.267 --> 00:14:21.500
We're at the home
00:14:21.500 --> 00:14:23.600
of a pioneer desert researcher,
00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:26.633
Gary Nabhan, who
founded Native Seeds,
00:14:26.633 --> 00:14:28.933
a group which finds,
collects and preserves
00:14:28.933 --> 00:14:31.100
the plants of this region.
00:14:31.100 --> 00:14:32.600
In this county,
00:14:32.600 --> 00:14:34.967
it's the northernmost
limits of the chiltepin
00:14:34.967 --> 00:14:38.100
or chile silvestre,
the wild chile.
00:14:38.100 --> 00:14:40.333
It goes all over
down to Guatemala.
00:14:40.333 --> 00:14:42.667
Pati, voice-over: Gary is
like a mad scientist.
00:14:42.667 --> 00:14:44.633
He's written more
than 30 books
00:14:44.633 --> 00:14:47.067
on the chiltepin
and other native foods.
00:14:47.067 --> 00:14:47.967
You have your own
00:14:47.967 --> 00:14:49.767
chiltepin little
heaven here.
00:14:49.767 --> 00:14:51.233
I can't live
without them.
00:14:51.233 --> 00:14:52.500
I'm addicted to them.
00:14:52.500 --> 00:14:54.100
Pati, voice-over:
His deep desire
00:14:54.100 --> 00:14:55.900
to share what he knows
about the native plants
00:14:55.900 --> 00:14:58.767
of this arid desert
will help farmers adapt
00:14:58.767 --> 00:15:00.100
to climate change.
00:15:00.100 --> 00:15:01.933
On both sides
of the border,
00:15:01.933 --> 00:15:04.400
we desperately need
crops that use
00:15:04.400 --> 00:15:05.633
far less water
00:15:05.633 --> 00:15:08.167
than alfalfa
or--or cotton.
00:15:08.167 --> 00:15:10.167
These plants don't use
much water,
00:15:10.167 --> 00:15:15.067
but per acre, the yield
in income is much,
00:15:15.067 --> 00:15:16.800
much higher
than any other crop
00:15:16.800 --> 00:15:18.933
that could be grown
in Sonora or Arizona.
00:15:18.933 --> 00:15:20.433
But they need help now
00:15:20.433 --> 00:15:21.933
or they'll
lose their farms.
00:15:21.933 --> 00:15:24.067
And specialty crops
that have high value
00:15:24.067 --> 00:15:26.600
per pound is one
of the answers
00:15:26.600 --> 00:15:27.933
that we can offer them.
00:15:31.433 --> 00:15:33.767
Pati, voice-over: This evening,
Gary is hosting a dinner
00:15:33.767 --> 00:15:36.767
made with mostly
native ingredients.
00:15:36.767 --> 00:15:39.233
Erin and Ben are joining us.
00:15:39.233 --> 00:15:40.567
And, did I mention?
00:15:40.567 --> 00:15:42.500
Ben's father is
a James Beard
00:15:42.500 --> 00:15:43.800
award-winning chef?
00:15:43.800 --> 00:15:45.600
I've heard so much
about you
00:15:45.600 --> 00:15:48.000
and I've heard so much
about your food.
00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:49.933
Pati, voice-over:
Janos Wilder revolutionized
00:15:49.933 --> 00:15:52.633
Tucson's farm
to table dining scene
00:15:52.633 --> 00:15:54.100
and the use of cooking
00:15:54.100 --> 00:15:55.600
with plants native
to this region.
00:15:55.600 --> 00:15:57.500
I'm honoring what
I've found here,
00:15:57.500 --> 00:15:59.500
the people that came
before me,
00:15:59.500 --> 00:16:01.467
and set the stage
for me to be able
00:16:01.467 --> 00:16:03.100
to do my work.
00:16:03.100 --> 00:16:06.100
And that's hom--
an homage in a sense.
00:16:06.100 --> 00:16:09.000
Pati, voice-over: His salad
is a story of the desert.
00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:11.767
Filled with prickly pear,
mezquite honey
00:16:11.767 --> 00:16:15.133
and two things
I've never seen before.
00:16:15.133 --> 00:16:18.233
Janos: These guys are little
white wheat berries.
00:16:18.233 --> 00:16:20.933
So the wheat berry
is an old world--
00:16:20.933 --> 00:16:23.067
wheat is an old world crop
that was brought here.
00:16:23.067 --> 00:16:24.667
And this is also
a pomegranate, you said?
00:16:24.667 --> 00:16:26.100
Yeah, that's a white
pomegranate.
00:16:26.100 --> 00:16:28.767
I have never seen
a white pomegranate.
00:16:28.767 --> 00:16:31.633
Taste that.
That is so sweet.
00:16:31.633 --> 00:16:33.133
So that is...
00:16:33.133 --> 00:16:35.667
That pomegranate is
from the root stalk
00:16:35.667 --> 00:16:38.467
that was brought here
by Father Kino.
00:16:39.733 --> 00:16:41.100
Pati, voice-over:
Spanish missionary,
00:16:41.100 --> 00:16:43.767
Father Eusebio Francisco Kino,
00:16:43.767 --> 00:16:46.000
was an influential
early explorer
00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:47.433
of Sonora.
00:16:47.433 --> 00:16:50.833
In the 1690s, he brought
European agriculture seeds
00:16:50.833 --> 00:16:55.300
and cattle to the 24 Jesuit
missions he founded.
00:16:55.300 --> 00:16:59.000
And that brings us to
what we're eating today.
00:17:01.600 --> 00:17:03.167
Pati, voice-over:
The chiltepin rubbed,
00:17:03.167 --> 00:17:06.467
adobe oven roasted
lamb is ready.
00:17:06.467 --> 00:17:08.600
I rubbed the lamb
in orange juice
00:17:08.600 --> 00:17:11.333
and chile powder and
a little bit of garlic
00:17:11.333 --> 00:17:13.467
and some coffee
as well.
00:17:13.467 --> 00:17:16.000
And I marinated that,
smoked it,
00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:17.633
and slow-cooked it
and then finished it
00:17:17.633 --> 00:17:18.967
in this oven.
00:17:22.633 --> 00:17:24.400
Pati: Oh!
00:17:24.400 --> 00:17:25.500
The meat is...
00:17:25.500 --> 00:17:26.667
Perfectly baked.
00:17:26.667 --> 00:17:27.833
Right the way
we want.
00:17:27.833 --> 00:17:30.167
It's so tender
and smoky.
00:17:30.167 --> 00:17:33.567
Pati, voice-over: The lamb
complements Chef Janos' salad
00:17:33.567 --> 00:17:35.733
along with heritage
tepary beans
00:17:35.733 --> 00:17:37.800
in a hardy squash soup.
00:17:37.800 --> 00:17:40.633
So that squash
has been raised
00:17:40.633 --> 00:17:42.600
in this region
for thousands
00:17:42.600 --> 00:17:44.000
and thousands
of years.
00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:45.833
It's a drought
resistant squash.
00:17:45.833 --> 00:17:48.933
And this particular
variety is harvested
00:17:48.933 --> 00:17:53.433
by the Tohono O'odham,
who lived in Tucson
00:17:53.433 --> 00:17:55.100
and crossed the border.
00:17:55.100 --> 00:17:57.067
And so this is
their squash.
00:17:57.067 --> 00:17:58.633
This is--this is
their story.
00:17:58.633 --> 00:18:00.467
Gary, here?
00:18:00.467 --> 00:18:02.400
Right here? OK.
00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:04.267
Shall I let
you sit here?
00:18:04.267 --> 00:18:05.633
No, no, no.
00:18:05.633 --> 00:18:07.667
Well, let's make
a toast.
00:18:07.667 --> 00:18:09.267
Yeah, OK.
00:18:09.267 --> 00:18:10.600
To the chiltepin.
00:18:10.600 --> 00:18:12.400
To the chiltepin!
00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:14.133
All the stress
that it brings
00:18:14.133 --> 00:18:15.600
to make us stronger.
00:18:15.600 --> 00:18:17.467
To the red-hot mother
of all chiles.
00:18:17.467 --> 00:18:19.267
Here, here.
00:18:19.267 --> 00:18:30.467
[Music]
00:18:30.467 --> 00:18:32.067
You're doing
the research.
00:18:32.067 --> 00:18:34.400
You're doing
the cooking
00:18:34.400 --> 00:18:36.800
of food that are
binational
00:18:36.800 --> 00:18:38.900
and you're collaborating
with people on both sides
00:18:38.900 --> 00:18:41.467
of the border
to research, to cook.
00:18:41.467 --> 00:18:42.767
Well, you know,
00:18:42.767 --> 00:18:44.633
and Gary has so much
to do with that
00:18:44.633 --> 00:18:46.600
by starting
Native Seeds Search,
00:18:46.600 --> 00:18:49.467
which is now
a repository
00:18:49.467 --> 00:18:51.067
of these seeds
00:18:51.067 --> 00:18:52.800
that have grown here
for thousands of years
00:18:52.800 --> 00:18:55.733
and many of them
in danger of extinction.
00:18:55.733 --> 00:18:57.567
Ben: Each one
of the ingredients
00:18:57.567 --> 00:18:59.633
on our plate
has its own story
00:18:59.633 --> 00:19:01.600
in terms of seeds
and history,
00:19:01.600 --> 00:19:03.067
but it's also
the people
00:19:03.067 --> 00:19:04.733
that cultivated
and brought them here.
00:19:04.733 --> 00:19:06.133
And incredible amount
00:19:06.133 --> 00:19:08.300
of knowledge that
you can eat and share.
00:19:08.300 --> 00:19:09.733
And it's easier
to share
00:19:09.733 --> 00:19:11.567
that knowledge when
you can eat it, right?
00:19:11.567 --> 00:19:13.067
That's right.
00:19:13.067 --> 00:19:15.867
If we don't keep
these on the table,
00:19:15.867 --> 00:19:18.867
and support the growers
or the foragers
00:19:18.867 --> 00:19:21.067
that make a living
off this,
00:19:21.067 --> 00:19:23.467
if they can't make
a living anymore,
00:19:23.467 --> 00:19:25.067
they'll drop that.
00:19:25.067 --> 00:19:28.733
And so my friend
Papi says,
00:19:28.733 --> 00:19:31.433
"Honey, if you want
to save it,
00:19:31.433 --> 00:19:33.433
you've got to eat it."
00:19:33.433 --> 00:19:37.600
[Music]
00:19:37.600 --> 00:19:40.067
Pati, voice-over:
Now, one final treat.
00:19:40.067 --> 00:19:44.200
Gary's biting
chiltepin flan.
00:19:44.200 --> 00:19:45.800
Man: How hot is it?
00:19:45.800 --> 00:19:48.033
Gary: Can I pass
another to...?
00:19:48.033 --> 00:19:50.233
Mmm!
00:19:50.233 --> 00:19:52.367
Gary.
00:19:52.367 --> 00:19:54.267
It is...wow!
00:19:54.267 --> 00:19:57.733
It really--It makes
the sweet of the flan
00:19:57.733 --> 00:19:59.900
have another dimension.
00:19:59.900 --> 00:20:01.533
Because you're feeling
the flavor
00:20:01.533 --> 00:20:02.800
of the chiltepin,
00:20:02.800 --> 00:20:04.400
and as you taste
the sweet,
00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:05.800
you're getting
the heat.
00:20:05.800 --> 00:20:08.067
It really just brings
your taste buds to life.
00:20:08.067 --> 00:20:09.467
Yeah.
00:20:09.467 --> 00:20:11.033
You've done well, Gary.
00:20:11.033 --> 00:20:14.533
My respect for you was
already like there.
00:20:14.533 --> 00:20:16.100
And now
I can't even reach.
00:20:16.100 --> 00:20:19.067
Pati, voice-over: Eating
food rich in ancient DNA
00:20:19.067 --> 00:20:20.800
is made only sweeter
when shared with
00:20:20.800 --> 00:20:22.233
the brilliant minds
00:20:22.233 --> 00:20:24.067
dedicated to their
conservation.
00:20:24.067 --> 00:20:25.567
I mean, this sky
00:20:25.567 --> 00:20:28.467
with the chiltepin flan
together is such a gift.
00:20:28.467 --> 00:20:29.967
Pati, voice-over:
But while science
00:20:29.967 --> 00:20:32.067
might see these foods
as a way forward,
00:20:32.067 --> 00:20:34.433
the desert people
of the borderlands
00:20:34.433 --> 00:20:35.733
see them as a way
to reconnect
00:20:35.733 --> 00:20:37.533
with their stolen past.
00:20:38.933 --> 00:20:41.733
For more than 10,000 years,
the borderlands have been
00:20:41.733 --> 00:20:44.567
a home to Tohono O'odham
Nation, whose people know
00:20:44.567 --> 00:20:46.633
no boundaries.
00:20:46.633 --> 00:20:49.400
The reservation is about
the size of Connecticut,
00:20:49.400 --> 00:20:52.733
each shares 75 miles
of international border
00:20:52.733 --> 00:20:54.233
with Mexico.
00:20:54.233 --> 00:20:56.567
And the border splits
their nation in two.
00:20:56.567 --> 00:20:58.233
They have fought
assimilation
00:20:58.233 --> 00:21:01.267
from different governments
since the 18th Century.
00:21:01.267 --> 00:21:04.400
The O'odham language
has struggled to survive.
00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:07.467
and the militarized border
has split up families
00:21:07.467 --> 00:21:10.900
and blocked access
to sacred sites.
00:21:10.900 --> 00:21:12.967
The San Xavier mission
next to the reservation,
00:21:12.967 --> 00:21:15.733
is a good illustration
of all the governments
00:21:15.733 --> 00:21:17.367
that have attempted
to colonize
00:21:17.367 --> 00:21:18.733
the O'odham people.
00:21:18.733 --> 00:21:20.100
Having had the flags
of three nations
00:21:20.100 --> 00:21:23.600
flown above the church.
since 1797.
00:21:23.600 --> 00:21:26.733
Spain, Mexico,
and the United States.
00:21:26.733 --> 00:21:28.733
All the more reason
for going back
00:21:28.733 --> 00:21:31.067
to their roots.
00:21:31.067 --> 00:21:33.067
And a younger
generation of O'odham
00:21:33.067 --> 00:21:35.067
see an opportunity
to go back
00:21:35.067 --> 00:21:37.633
to those roots
through food.
00:21:37.633 --> 00:21:42.267
This is the coolest,
tallest, most modern
00:21:42.267 --> 00:21:45.067
sophisticated tractor
I've ever seen.
00:21:45.067 --> 00:21:47.400
Connecting the past
with the future is
00:21:47.400 --> 00:21:49.100
the job
of Duran Andrews.
00:21:49.100 --> 00:21:51.567
Born and raised
on the reservation.
00:21:51.567 --> 00:21:55.633
He manages the 1000 acre
cooperative farm.
00:21:55.633 --> 00:21:57.967
The mission for the farm
was for the preservation
00:21:57.967 --> 00:21:59.233
of the food.
00:21:59.233 --> 00:22:01.400
Pati, voice-over:
In the 1970s, landowners
00:22:01.400 --> 00:22:02.900
in the San Xavier district
00:22:02.900 --> 00:22:06.267
created the co-op to grow
their traditional crops,
00:22:06.267 --> 00:22:08.800
but for many years
they hired outsiders
00:22:08.800 --> 00:22:10.433
to manage the farm,
00:22:10.433 --> 00:22:13.867
who changed the focus
to cash crops like hay.
00:22:13.867 --> 00:22:15.867
Tell me a little bit
about those ingredients
00:22:15.867 --> 00:22:17.900
you want to bring back.
00:22:17.900 --> 00:22:19.733
What's their meaning?
00:22:19.733 --> 00:22:23.033
I mean, right now
the culture has struggled,
00:22:23.033 --> 00:22:25.800
you know, and, uh, I like
to think of our food
00:22:25.800 --> 00:22:28.300
as survival food, you know,
we--we need the culture
00:22:28.300 --> 00:22:30.433
to survive this--
this struggle.
00:22:30.433 --> 00:22:31.767
You know, we need
to emphasize it,
00:22:31.767 --> 00:22:33.200
we need to put it
out there
00:22:33.200 --> 00:22:35.567
and talk the language,
you know, the Ni'ok.
00:22:35.567 --> 00:22:37.300
That's really important
for survival.
00:22:37.300 --> 00:22:38.767
And that's what
we've been doing
00:22:38.767 --> 00:22:40.700
since we lived here
generations from others.
00:22:40.700 --> 00:22:42.733
Pati, voice-over:
About 80 % of the farm
00:22:42.733 --> 00:22:44.700
is hay for animal feed.
00:22:44.700 --> 00:22:47.233
Duran would like to make
that 50 % feed.
00:22:47.233 --> 00:22:49.400
And 50 % traditional food.
00:22:49.400 --> 00:22:52.100
But it's no easy task.
00:22:52.100 --> 00:22:54.900
Traditional food means
more traditional methods
00:22:54.900 --> 00:22:56.767
like hand-planting seeds.
00:22:56.767 --> 00:22:58.633
They also don't use
any pesticides
00:22:58.633 --> 00:23:00.233
or chemicals.
00:23:00.233 --> 00:23:01.900
It's surprising to me
that when you talk
00:23:01.900 --> 00:23:03.467
to a lot of people,
they don't know
00:23:03.467 --> 00:23:05.067
about the farm here,
in Tucson.
00:23:05.067 --> 00:23:06.633
And when they do find out
about it, they get surprised,
00:23:06.633 --> 00:23:07.900
"I gotta go there
and get what I want."
00:23:07.900 --> 00:23:09.900
They wanna get
ingredients.
00:23:09.900 --> 00:23:11.433
Mezquite pods,
you know, mezquite flour.
00:23:11.433 --> 00:23:12.567
They definitely know
where to come now
00:23:12.567 --> 00:23:14.067
and that's what
we wanna be.
00:23:14.067 --> 00:23:17.033
We wanna be that hub
that has food for them.
00:23:17.033 --> 00:23:19.600
You have a little knife
or a little spoon?
00:23:19.600 --> 00:23:20.900
Yes.
00:23:20.900 --> 00:23:22.400
Pati, voice-over:
Amy Juan is also
00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:24.133
a manager at the farm.
00:23:24.133 --> 00:23:25.567
Born in the 1980s,
00:23:25.567 --> 00:23:27.700
she comes from
the last generation
00:23:27.700 --> 00:23:29.867
to move freely
between both sides
00:23:29.867 --> 00:23:31.867
of the Tohono
O'odham nation.
00:23:31.867 --> 00:23:34.467
Our family isn't even
my family.
00:23:34.467 --> 00:23:36.567
Our roots are
in the white hill,
00:23:36.567 --> 00:23:38.067
which is a community
on the other side
00:23:38.067 --> 00:23:39.733
of the border.
00:23:39.733 --> 00:23:41.367
There's a lot of ties,
those ties are still there
00:23:41.367 --> 00:23:44.733
despite the politics,
despite the border wall.
00:23:44.733 --> 00:23:46.600
And different things
like that,
00:23:46.600 --> 00:23:49.900
we're still continuing
our food tradition.
00:23:49.900 --> 00:23:51.433
Pati, voice-over:
But politics have always been
00:23:51.433 --> 00:23:54.267
the primary challenge
for the O'odham people.
00:23:54.267 --> 00:23:56.600
Duran recalls a moment
when walking through
00:23:56.600 --> 00:23:58.633
the desert to school
on the U.S. side,
00:23:58.633 --> 00:24:00.733
when he was tackled
by border patrol.
00:24:00.733 --> 00:24:02.033
I had my headphones
and didn't think
00:24:02.033 --> 00:24:03.400
anything of it,
00:24:03.400 --> 00:24:04.900
and then, out of nowhere,
I--an individual got me
00:24:04.900 --> 00:24:06.733
and pushed me down
to the floor.
00:24:06.733 --> 00:24:08.533
And out of instinct I kind of,
I don't know, I fought back
00:24:08.533 --> 00:24:10.200
like, "Oh, my God,
I'm being robbed."
00:24:10.200 --> 00:24:11.667
Yeah?
00:24:11.667 --> 00:24:13.067
But, um, I looked up
at this guy and I started
00:24:13.067 --> 00:24:14.933
to speak in English,
"What are you doing?"
00:24:14.933 --> 00:24:17.600
He stepped back and realized,
"Are you a U.S. citizen?"
00:24:17.600 --> 00:24:19.900
And then I said, "Yes,
what are you doing?"
00:24:19.900 --> 00:24:22.833
Yeah, so, he--their confusion
was like, "I'm sorry, sir."
00:24:22.833 --> 00:24:24.267
They moved on with what
they were doing,
00:24:24.267 --> 00:24:26.200
but you know, it's like
that--that perception.
00:24:26.200 --> 00:24:28.367
There are so many experiences
like that in the reservation.
00:24:28.367 --> 00:24:30.000
It's horrible,
it's unfortunate.
00:24:32.500 --> 00:24:33.733
Pati, voice-over:
Amy is preparing
00:24:33.733 --> 00:24:35.267
traditional ingredients
00:24:35.267 --> 00:24:37.033
for the Annual Heritage
Celebration, where
00:24:37.033 --> 00:24:39.767
contestants will compete
in a food competition.
00:24:39.767 --> 00:24:42.433
Foods like 60-day corn,
00:24:42.433 --> 00:24:43.733
cholla buds,
00:24:43.733 --> 00:24:45.167
saguaro syrup,
00:24:45.167 --> 00:24:47.700
mezquite flour,
and wheat berries.
00:24:47.700 --> 00:24:49.367
So what do we have here?
00:24:49.367 --> 00:24:51.900
Here we have
the 60-day corn.
00:24:51.900 --> 00:24:54.000
Mmm! Yeah.
00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:56.233
Pati, voice-over:
60-day corn is an ancient
00:24:56.233 --> 00:24:57.700
seed that is planted
00:24:57.700 --> 00:24:59.833
and ready for harvest
in just 60 days.
00:24:59.833 --> 00:25:03.400
It uses significantly less
water than modern corn.
00:25:03.400 --> 00:25:04.700
I love it.
00:25:04.700 --> 00:25:05.767
It has
that toasty flavor.
00:25:05.767 --> 00:25:07.167
That smoky flavor.
00:25:07.167 --> 00:25:08.567
I've been a part
of the food work
00:25:08.567 --> 00:25:10.433
in the nation
for a while.
00:25:10.433 --> 00:25:12.033
And because of
different things
00:25:12.033 --> 00:25:13.833
that we've gone through
in our history,
00:25:13.833 --> 00:25:15.567
we almost lost a lot
of our food knowledge
00:25:15.567 --> 00:25:17.233
and culture.
00:25:17.233 --> 00:25:20.533
And so we've been working hard
for the past ten years
00:25:20.533 --> 00:25:24.200
to bring a renaissance
of food back
00:25:24.200 --> 00:25:25.667
to the community,
00:25:25.667 --> 00:25:27.033
and a big part of that
is seed saving.
00:25:27.033 --> 00:25:29.867
In our stories,
as O'odham people,
00:25:29.867 --> 00:25:32.700
as desert people,
we see these beans
00:25:32.700 --> 00:25:34.667
as making up
the formation
00:25:34.667 --> 00:25:36.033
of the Milky Way.
00:25:36.033 --> 00:25:38.567
These foods are
an essential part
00:25:38.567 --> 00:25:40.433
of who we are
as O'odham.
00:25:40.433 --> 00:25:42.033
For me, personally,
00:25:42.033 --> 00:25:43.700
growing up and learning
about these foods
00:25:43.700 --> 00:25:45.200
and learning
how to cook them
00:25:45.200 --> 00:25:47.533
meant time
with my grandmothers.
00:25:47.533 --> 00:25:49.167
And so my grandmothers
are gone now,
00:25:49.167 --> 00:25:52.600
and so for me to spend
time with the foods
00:25:52.600 --> 00:25:55.100
and to cook them is
my way of continuing
00:25:55.100 --> 00:25:56.333
to be with them.
00:25:56.333 --> 00:26:01.233
[Music]
00:26:01.233 --> 00:26:02.867
Pati, voice-over:
The Heritage Food Festival
00:26:02.867 --> 00:26:04.700
is another way
to get people
00:26:04.700 --> 00:26:07.833
from inside and outside
Tohono Nation excited
00:26:07.833 --> 00:26:09.700
about traditional foods.
00:26:09.700 --> 00:26:11.700
All right, everybody,
thank you so much
00:26:11.700 --> 00:26:16.000
for joining
the Cooking Competition.
00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:17.667
Pati, voice-over:
Each contestant gets
00:26:17.667 --> 00:26:19.367
a bag of ingredients
and has an hour
00:26:19.367 --> 00:26:21.400
to create a new dish.
00:26:21.400 --> 00:26:23.700
You have cholla buds.
00:26:23.700 --> 00:26:26.333
And you have the white
tepary beans
00:26:26.333 --> 00:26:27.900
and the red tepary beans.
00:26:27.900 --> 00:26:31.700
If it's your first time
using these ingredients,
00:26:31.700 --> 00:26:33.033
that's okay, that's
00:26:33.033 --> 00:26:34.567
your introduction
to the ingredient
00:26:34.567 --> 00:26:36.867
and, hopefully,
it inspires you
00:26:36.867 --> 00:26:39.767
to eat it more,
to utilize it more, uh,
00:26:39.767 --> 00:26:41.567
because that's also
what we want to do,
00:26:41.567 --> 00:26:43.867
is encourage
traditional food
00:26:43.867 --> 00:26:47.167
in our everyday meals
for our family.
00:26:47.167 --> 00:26:49.167
We will start now.
00:26:49.167 --> 00:26:55.700
[Music]
00:26:55.700 --> 00:26:57.667
What are you guys making?
00:26:57.667 --> 00:26:59.033
I'm not sure.
00:26:59.033 --> 00:27:01.267
A mess.
00:27:01.267 --> 00:27:03.267
He thinks he can cook
better than me.
00:27:03.267 --> 00:27:04.533
Who's the better cook?
00:27:04.533 --> 00:27:05.533
Me.
00:27:05.533 --> 00:27:07.000
My wife.
00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:09.667
I guess--I guess we
will find out right now.
00:27:09.667 --> 00:27:10.867
Pati, voice-over:
Some of the contestants
00:27:10.867 --> 00:27:12.500
are members of the tribe,
00:27:12.500 --> 00:27:14.033
and some are visitors
here learning
00:27:14.033 --> 00:27:16.000
and trying
something new.
00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:18.367
I mean, I'm not a part
of that--but, um,
00:27:18.367 --> 00:27:19.900
of the nation,
at the same time,
00:27:19.900 --> 00:27:22.367
I feel pride living
in this area.
00:27:22.367 --> 00:27:23.867
Pati: Paloma.
00:27:23.867 --> 00:27:25.533
Pati, voice-over: Paloma
is making enchiladas
00:27:25.533 --> 00:27:28.067
with a bean sauce
using red tepary beans.
00:27:28.067 --> 00:27:30.367
She's a student at
the University of Arizona
00:27:30.367 --> 00:27:32.700
majoring in food
studies.
00:27:32.700 --> 00:27:35.567
I think, you know,
a lot of us have like lost
00:27:35.567 --> 00:27:37.233
connection to the foods
00:27:37.233 --> 00:27:40.000
that our ancestors had
built relationships with.
00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:42.700
But it's like
super powerful
00:27:42.700 --> 00:27:46.567
to, like, see the, um,
you know, that these crops
00:27:46.567 --> 00:27:50.033
are still here,
like, on this land.
00:27:50.033 --> 00:27:51.367
To us, they're
superfoods.
00:27:51.367 --> 00:27:52.767
Yeah?
00:27:52.767 --> 00:27:55.900
And because they're
drought-tolerant
00:27:55.900 --> 00:27:59.600
and, uh, we can grow those
during the Monsoon.
00:27:59.600 --> 00:28:01.900
It doesn't--You don't
have to put out
00:28:01.900 --> 00:28:04.167
a hose to--
to water them.
00:28:04.167 --> 00:28:05.933
Pati, voice-over:
Phyllis Valenzuela is
00:28:05.933 --> 00:28:08.100
a farm chef and a judge
at the competition.
00:28:08.100 --> 00:28:10.567
She's one of the driving
forces behind bringing
00:28:10.567 --> 00:28:12.267
back traditional food.
00:28:12.267 --> 00:28:14.433
I walked around and I asked
the employees, I said,
00:28:14.433 --> 00:28:16.867
"Do you guys eat
what you grow?"
00:28:16.867 --> 00:28:19.333
"No," and I said,
"Well, here you go."
00:28:19.333 --> 00:28:20.567
Since I've been here,
00:28:20.567 --> 00:28:22.100
that's what I've been
doing.
00:28:22.100 --> 00:28:25.367
Everything that comes
out of the garden
00:28:25.367 --> 00:28:26.600
or the larger fields...
00:28:26.600 --> 00:28:28.200
You cook.
00:28:28.200 --> 00:28:30.100
I prepare it and I give
to the employees.
00:28:30.100 --> 00:28:32.600
The elders come in
and they say,
00:28:32.600 --> 00:28:34.033
"I haven't had this food
00:28:34.033 --> 00:28:35.900
since my grandmother
cooked it."
00:28:35.900 --> 00:28:36.833
Oh.
00:28:36.833 --> 00:28:38.433
And I hear that a lot.
00:28:38.433 --> 00:28:40.000
Pati, voice-over: The results
of the competition
00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:41.733
were so tasty
and creative.
00:28:41.733 --> 00:28:43.567
But the real victory
for Amy is
00:28:43.567 --> 00:28:46.033
the conversation
and participation.
00:28:46.033 --> 00:28:49.067
But food isn't
the only way
00:28:49.067 --> 00:28:51.267
that younger O'odhams
are reclaiming
00:28:51.267 --> 00:28:52.700
their birthright.
00:28:52.700 --> 00:28:54.267
It's also through fate.
00:28:54.267 --> 00:28:56.900
As a teenager, Amy told
her Catholic grandmother
00:28:56.900 --> 00:28:59.033
she was no longer
attending church.
00:28:59.033 --> 00:29:01.867
That was a little
upsetting to her.
00:29:01.867 --> 00:29:03.367
But, um,
00:29:03.367 --> 00:29:06.567
once we showed her
that we are learning
00:29:06.567 --> 00:29:09.667
our culture, we're also
learning how to pray,
00:29:09.667 --> 00:29:11.067
we're learning
how to sing,
00:29:11.067 --> 00:29:13.200
we're learning more
about who we are
00:29:13.200 --> 00:29:14.433
as O'odham,
00:29:14.433 --> 00:29:15.867
she was happy
about that.
00:29:15.867 --> 00:29:18.533
And her thing was, "As
long as you have faith."
00:29:20.100 --> 00:29:22.700
Are there songs for
when you're planting
00:29:22.700 --> 00:29:24.033
and are there songs
00:29:24.033 --> 00:29:25.433
from when you're
harvesting?
00:29:25.433 --> 00:29:26.867
Yes.
00:29:26.867 --> 00:29:28.867
And what would
the songs be now?
00:29:28.867 --> 00:29:30.567
Well, harvesting songs.
00:29:30.567 --> 00:29:32.033
Do you sing those, too?
00:29:32.033 --> 00:29:33.367
I do.
00:29:33.367 --> 00:29:35.400
Can you share a bit
with me?
00:29:35.400 --> 00:29:36.500
Yes.
00:29:36.500 --> 00:29:40.467
[Sings in native language]
00:29:43.000 --> 00:29:44.667
Pati, voice-over:
The wounds of colonization
00:29:44.667 --> 00:29:46.167
may never fully heal,
00:29:46.167 --> 00:29:48.667
but little by little,
through the passing down
00:29:48.667 --> 00:29:51.167
the food, language
and song,
00:29:51.167 --> 00:29:53.367
the O'odham people
are regaining some
00:29:53.367 --> 00:29:55.033
of what has been lost.
00:29:55.033 --> 00:29:59.000
[Sings in O'odham]
00:30:03.067 --> 00:30:04.667
You've touched my heart.
00:30:04.667 --> 00:30:06.300
It's so beautiful.
00:30:06.300 --> 00:30:09.167
Thank you. Thank you.
00:30:09.167 --> 00:30:15.067
[Music]
00:30:15.067 --> 00:30:16.700
Pati, voice-over:
The nation's traditional
00:30:16.700 --> 00:30:18.400
food may be thousands
of years old,
00:30:18.400 --> 00:30:19.900
but that doesn't mean
00:30:19.900 --> 00:30:23.167
they can't be used
in exciting new ways.
00:30:23.167 --> 00:30:25.400
Fifteen minutes away
from the co-op,
00:30:25.400 --> 00:30:26.967
Borderlands brewery
00:30:26.967 --> 00:30:29.667
in Tucson makes
a killer new blonde ale
00:30:29.667 --> 00:30:32.300
made with the nation's
60-day corn.
00:30:32.300 --> 00:30:34.300
So I have my glass,
it's chilled.
00:30:34.300 --> 00:30:36.133
It's important
that it's chilled.
00:30:36.133 --> 00:30:37.867
Yes, especially
for these beers,
00:30:37.867 --> 00:30:39.833
so want them to be nice,
cold and refreshing.
00:30:39.833 --> 00:30:43.133
So the name of the beer
is Pueblo...
00:30:43.133 --> 00:30:44.167
Viejo.
00:30:44.167 --> 00:30:45.467
Pueblo Viejo.
00:30:45.467 --> 00:30:47.000
Pati, voice-over:
Pueblo Viejo is
00:30:47.000 --> 00:30:49.000
the invention of head
brewer, Ayla Kapahi.
00:30:49.000 --> 00:30:50.367
And there you go,
beautiful,
00:30:50.367 --> 00:30:51.667
you can stop there.
00:30:51.667 --> 00:30:53.533
That is
the perfect pour.
00:30:53.533 --> 00:30:57.167
I am feeling
so good about this,
00:30:57.167 --> 00:30:58.667
I don't even wanna move.
00:30:58.667 --> 00:31:00.500
I know,
it's so beautiful.
00:31:00.500 --> 00:31:02.200
OK, so cheers
to the first one.
00:31:02.200 --> 00:31:03.200
Cheers.
00:31:03.200 --> 00:31:04.233
And the 60-day corn.
00:31:04.233 --> 00:31:05.800
Absolutely.
00:31:08.800 --> 00:31:12.200
It's so delicious.
It's crisp.
00:31:12.200 --> 00:31:17.033
It's a little bit sweet,
it's a little bit earthy.
00:31:17.033 --> 00:31:18.367
Exactly.
00:31:18.367 --> 00:31:19.967
It's delicious,
and light and bright.
00:31:19.967 --> 00:31:22.200
Especially to have
a beer in the desert
00:31:22.200 --> 00:31:25.000
um, along the border, it's--
you know, we want that.
00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:32.633
[Music]
00:31:32.633 --> 00:31:33.900
Pati, voice-over:
Breaking new ground
00:31:33.900 --> 00:31:35.667
is nothing new
for the brewery.
00:31:35.667 --> 00:31:38.400
Borderlands is the first
in the state of Arizona
00:31:38.400 --> 00:31:41.300
with an all-female
brew crew.
00:31:41.300 --> 00:31:43.167
Well, crew of two.
00:31:43.167 --> 00:31:46.667
Ayla and Savanna Saldate
run the entire production.
00:31:46.667 --> 00:31:50.333
Some months canning up
to 25,000 beers.
00:31:50.333 --> 00:31:53.800
So it all starts, basically,
with a big pot of oatmeal.
00:31:53.800 --> 00:31:57.533
So we're mixing hot water
and malted barley.
00:31:57.533 --> 00:31:59.667
I know we're making beer,
00:31:59.667 --> 00:32:01.533
but it smells
like morning to me.
00:32:01.533 --> 00:32:03.667
Exactly.
00:32:03.667 --> 00:32:05.667
So this is
roasted barley.
00:32:05.667 --> 00:32:07.467
And it's a local one
that we sourced
00:32:07.467 --> 00:32:09.400
just about an hour
away.
00:32:09.400 --> 00:32:10.500
And this one, you
can kind of taste
00:32:10.500 --> 00:32:12.000
the sweetness,
00:32:12.000 --> 00:32:13.667
It's kind of nutty,
a little bit of, like,
00:32:13.667 --> 00:32:15.133
toffee and biscuit
notes in there. So.
00:32:15.133 --> 00:32:16.233
Yeah.
00:32:16.233 --> 00:32:17.400
It's like granola.
00:32:17.400 --> 00:32:19.667
Exactly.
00:32:19.667 --> 00:32:21.867
Pati, voice-over: Ayla
started from the bottom,
00:32:21.867 --> 00:32:24.833
cleaning floors
and scrubbing kegs.
00:32:24.833 --> 00:32:27.567
She worked her way up
to assistant brewer,
00:32:27.567 --> 00:32:30.800
then head brewer,
and now she's part owner
00:32:30.800 --> 00:32:33.967
and director of production
at Borderlands.
00:32:33.967 --> 00:32:36.967
Ayla: When I started
brewing eight years ago,
00:32:36.967 --> 00:32:40.667
I had never seen
or met anyone
00:32:40.667 --> 00:32:43.500
who looked like me
in this profession.
00:32:43.500 --> 00:32:45.733
Um, and at times,
that had been
00:32:45.733 --> 00:32:48.000
almost a little bit
of a--a lonely journey.
00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:50.200
And, you know, fortunately
now, here we are,
00:32:50.200 --> 00:32:53.800
a decade later,
and we see there are
00:32:53.800 --> 00:32:57.533
about 15 other women
brewing just in Tucson.
00:32:57.533 --> 00:32:59.167
Pati, voice-over:
Ayla hopes to empower
00:32:59.167 --> 00:33:00.367
women and minorities
00:33:00.367 --> 00:33:01.833
in the craft beer
industry
00:33:01.833 --> 00:33:04.333
through education
and collaboration.
00:33:04.333 --> 00:33:05.733
It enriches
00:33:05.733 --> 00:33:07.800
when you diversify
any community.
00:33:09.000 --> 00:33:10.667
Pati, voice-over:
Ayla's other half,
00:33:10.667 --> 00:33:12.233
Savanna Saldate,
started as a bartender,
00:33:12.233 --> 00:33:15.300
but became fascinated
with craft brew culture.
00:33:15.300 --> 00:33:18.000
Savanna: Being able to
work with and for women
00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:20.500
is--is an incredible
experience for me.
00:33:20.500 --> 00:33:22.667
Especially
being minorities
00:33:22.667 --> 00:33:24.967
in multiple senses.
00:33:24.967 --> 00:33:28.000
Tell me about that,
of the senses.
00:33:28.000 --> 00:33:31.667
Um, so, well both
of us being brown,
00:33:31.667 --> 00:33:35.400
Latino origin
and women in general
00:33:35.400 --> 00:33:36.800
is a minority in this--
00:33:36.800 --> 00:33:39.333
in, uh, this industry,
for sure.
00:33:39.333 --> 00:33:42.867
Um, so just being able
to work with somebody
00:33:42.867 --> 00:33:44.833
that you can relate to,
that looks like you,
00:33:44.833 --> 00:33:48.300
that has a similar
background and, um...
00:33:48.300 --> 00:33:49.533
feelings about things
00:33:49.533 --> 00:33:53.067
is just--it's
a relief, honestly.
00:33:53.067 --> 00:33:54.633
Pati, voice-over:
Collaborations
00:33:54.633 --> 00:33:56.833
like Las Hermanas
or The Sisters
00:33:56.833 --> 00:33:58.633
is a program that Ayla
00:33:58.633 --> 00:34:00.667
co-founded that brings
together women brewers
00:34:00.667 --> 00:34:03.167
from both sides
of the border.
00:34:03.167 --> 00:34:05.533
We've brewed with
over 40 women brewers
00:34:05.533 --> 00:34:08.667
in Mexico City
just last month.
00:34:08.667 --> 00:34:10.067
Pati, voice-over:
But collaborating
00:34:10.067 --> 00:34:11.533
with local growers,
00:34:11.533 --> 00:34:13.200
like the Tohono O'odham
nation and others
00:34:13.200 --> 00:34:15.967
is the key to making
her beers stand out.
00:34:15.967 --> 00:34:18.500
We know it's
a sacred ingredient.
00:34:18.500 --> 00:34:20.333
We're so humbled
to be able to work
00:34:20.333 --> 00:34:22.833
with the community
to use this maize.
00:34:22.833 --> 00:34:24.800
And, you know,
the best thing, too,
00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:26.400
is that 60-day corn,
remember,
00:34:26.400 --> 00:34:27.967
it's sustainable.
00:34:27.967 --> 00:34:29.567
Pati, voice-over:
Ayla and Savanna
00:34:29.567 --> 00:34:31.167
are brewing up
many delicious flavors
00:34:31.167 --> 00:34:34.133
of beer like this German
chocolate cake porter.
00:34:34.133 --> 00:34:36.200
It's exactly
what is sounds like.
00:34:36.200 --> 00:34:38.167
It's dessert in a beer.
00:34:38.167 --> 00:34:39.867
Are you ready to try some?
00:34:39.867 --> 00:34:41.333
Yes!
00:34:41.333 --> 00:34:43.500
Remember, this beer
is not quite finished yet.
00:34:43.500 --> 00:34:46.000
I have such
a sweet tooth, you guys.
00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:47.000
So natural.
00:34:47.000 --> 00:34:48.000
Look at this beauty.
00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:49.533
Oh, the smell!
00:34:49.533 --> 00:34:51.300
Yeah, don't forget
to smell it.
00:34:51.300 --> 00:34:52.633
Oh, wow!
00:34:52.633 --> 00:34:53.667
Oh, it smells sweet.
00:34:53.667 --> 00:34:56.433
Oh, it smells chocolatey.
00:34:56.433 --> 00:34:59.933
Mmm! It's so good.
00:34:59.933 --> 00:35:01.833
Oh, wow!
00:35:01.833 --> 00:35:03.467
Oh, yum.
00:35:03.467 --> 00:35:04.600
I taste the chocolate
00:35:04.600 --> 00:35:06.633
and the coffee
so intensely.
00:35:06.633 --> 00:35:08.867
This is dangerous,
you guys.
00:35:08.867 --> 00:35:11.133
This can now be
my morning coffee.
00:35:11.133 --> 00:35:12.300
I know.
00:35:12.300 --> 00:35:13.367
That wouldn't be
a good thing.
00:35:13.367 --> 00:35:14.467
Be careful.
00:35:14.467 --> 00:35:15.533
It is so yummy.
00:35:15.533 --> 00:35:17.867
Salud.
What a treat.
00:35:22.467 --> 00:35:24.800
Pati, voice-over: Not far from
the Tohono O'odham nation,
00:35:24.800 --> 00:35:27.367
whose land and water
is held sacred,
00:35:27.367 --> 00:35:28.700
there's a place
00:35:28.700 --> 00:35:30.000
where people took
from the earth
00:35:30.000 --> 00:35:32.167
until there was
no more to give.
00:35:32.167 --> 00:35:34.033
So they left.
00:35:34.033 --> 00:35:37.133
All that remains are
the ruins of Ruby,
00:35:37.133 --> 00:35:38.633
an abandoned mining town
00:35:38.633 --> 00:35:41.433
deep in the Arizona
wilderness, not far from
00:35:41.433 --> 00:35:43.433
where we hunted
for the chiltepin
00:35:43.433 --> 00:35:45.867
and near
the Mexican border.
00:35:45.867 --> 00:35:47.667
Leslie: This is
a deadly place.
00:35:47.667 --> 00:35:49.833
In fact, the original
sign on the gate was,
00:35:49.833 --> 00:35:51.633
"Trespassers will be shot
on sight."
00:35:51.633 --> 00:35:52.833
So you see
the bullet holes
00:35:52.833 --> 00:35:54.467
in the back end
of the building.
00:35:54.467 --> 00:35:56.467
Yeah.
00:35:56.467 --> 00:35:57.967
Pati, voice-over:
But it's not all ghosts.
00:35:57.967 --> 00:36:00.300
The town has
a population of one.
00:36:00.300 --> 00:36:02.267
Meet caretaker
Leslie Case.
00:36:02.267 --> 00:36:03.967
So two beautiful names.
00:36:03.967 --> 00:36:07.367
I have a Leslie
in a town called Ruby.
00:36:07.367 --> 00:36:08.467
Ruby.
00:36:08.467 --> 00:36:09.800
When you're a gentleman
00:36:09.800 --> 00:36:11.533
and you--and you've been
out too long,
00:36:11.533 --> 00:36:12.933
and you've been
playing cards
00:36:12.933 --> 00:36:14.500
with the guys
and drinking all night,
00:36:14.500 --> 00:36:16.467
you come home
and the only way
00:36:16.467 --> 00:36:17.933
to make your wife happy
00:36:17.933 --> 00:36:21.300
is to name a town
after her.
00:36:21.300 --> 00:36:24.133
And that's how
Ruby got his town.
00:36:24.133 --> 00:36:27.833
So this was a lead mine
or a zinc mine?
00:36:27.833 --> 00:36:29.000
Zinc and lead.
00:36:29.000 --> 00:36:30.767
Zinc and lead
at the same time.
00:36:30.767 --> 00:36:32.133
Right.
00:36:32.133 --> 00:36:35.333
And it was originally gold,
silver, copper and zinc.
00:36:35.333 --> 00:36:37.033
And this was
the actual mine.
00:36:37.033 --> 00:36:39.500
There are several open pits
that are around here.
00:36:39.500 --> 00:36:41.433
It was over-mined.
00:36:41.433 --> 00:36:42.967
They call it
"undermining."
00:36:42.967 --> 00:36:45.500
OK. When it's been
too mined.
00:36:45.500 --> 00:36:47.500
Right, so you don't hike
00:36:47.500 --> 00:36:49.467
on that mountain
because you actually...
00:36:49.467 --> 00:36:51.033
You could fall.
00:36:51.033 --> 00:36:52.467
700 feet into the earth.
00:36:52.467 --> 00:36:54.433
You could think you
have earth there, but...
00:36:54.433 --> 00:36:55.633
This is so deep then.
00:36:55.633 --> 00:36:57.167
It breaks through.
00:36:57.167 --> 00:36:59.133
Pati, voice-over:
At its height, in the 1930s,
00:36:59.133 --> 00:37:00.767
1200 people lived here.
00:37:00.767 --> 00:37:03.800
In 1940, it all ended,
and people had to leave
00:37:03.800 --> 00:37:05.533
at that point, there
would be no mercantile,
00:37:05.533 --> 00:37:07.800
no post office.
00:37:07.800 --> 00:37:10.767
And the mine was closing,
so no work.
00:37:10.767 --> 00:37:12.300
Pati, voice-over:
Ruby's current owners
00:37:12.300 --> 00:37:14.500
have hired caretakers
over the years to give
00:37:14.500 --> 00:37:16.800
tours and prevent vandalism.
00:37:16.800 --> 00:37:18.467
You have to be
a certain way
00:37:18.467 --> 00:37:20.467
to actually take
a job like this.
00:37:20.467 --> 00:37:21.833
It's not easy.
00:37:21.833 --> 00:37:23.700
So you're idea
in the beginning,
00:37:23.700 --> 00:37:26.933
when you took this job,
was to stay for how long?
00:37:26.933 --> 00:37:29.867
I--I had made a commitment
for a year.
00:37:29.867 --> 00:37:32.467
And now I've been
17 months here.
00:37:32.467 --> 00:37:34.133
Pati, voice-over:
What Leslie signed up for
00:37:34.133 --> 00:37:35.467
was taking care of Ruby.
00:37:35.467 --> 00:37:38.533
I think this is
fascinating.
00:37:38.533 --> 00:37:40.367
Pati, voice-over:
But in the process
00:37:40.367 --> 00:37:42.633
she found a new kind
of purpose.
00:37:42.633 --> 00:37:44.667
Pati: We're just three
miles from the border.
00:37:44.667 --> 00:37:47.167
Leslie: Yeah, just to
the right of Montana Peak.
00:37:47.167 --> 00:37:50.300
But you have 70 miles
of treacherous desert
00:37:50.300 --> 00:37:52.700
that they've already crossed
where there was nothing
00:37:52.700 --> 00:37:55.833
but this really
rocky country.
00:37:58.367 --> 00:37:59.600
Pati, voice-over:
She's describing
00:37:59.600 --> 00:38:01.000
the footpaths taken
00:38:01.000 --> 00:38:02.633
by those trying
to cross the border.
00:38:02.633 --> 00:38:04.100
Pati: Every day
you'll find people,
00:38:04.100 --> 00:38:05.467
you'll give them water.
00:38:05.467 --> 00:38:08.367
Yeah, I'm a nurse
by trade and, you know,
00:38:08.367 --> 00:38:09.933
I have to give
first aid to people.
00:38:09.933 --> 00:38:14.300
It's a real, big drive
for me to--to be here.
00:38:14.300 --> 00:38:16.033
By the time
they reach Ruby,
00:38:16.033 --> 00:38:19.967
coyotes say,
"Tucson is five miles."
00:38:19.967 --> 00:38:23.467
And Tucson is 78 miles
from Ruby.
00:38:23.467 --> 00:38:24.833
So when they come up
over the hedge,
00:38:24.833 --> 00:38:28.033
they come here
and they say, "Tucson?"
00:38:28.033 --> 00:38:29.800
And I go, "Oh, no."
00:38:29.800 --> 00:38:31.933
I'm not gonna be
naive enough to say
00:38:31.933 --> 00:38:33.667
that absolutely
every single person
00:38:33.667 --> 00:38:35.000
that crosses
this border is good,
00:38:35.000 --> 00:38:36.300
but you know what?
00:38:36.300 --> 00:38:38.600
The majority of them
are so polite
00:38:38.600 --> 00:38:42.033
and so kind and just
very desperate.
00:38:42.033 --> 00:38:43.800
Pati, voice-over:
So many of the lost
00:38:43.800 --> 00:38:45.867
pass through Ruby
that their presence
00:38:45.867 --> 00:38:48.100
has attracted another
kind of person.
00:38:48.100 --> 00:38:50.467
The vigilantes that
actually come in here,
00:38:50.467 --> 00:38:52.300
they actually will tell
you straight up
00:38:52.300 --> 00:38:55.300
that they're hunting
for immigrants.
00:38:55.300 --> 00:38:56.800
And they have done
00:38:56.800 --> 00:38:58.800
everything they can
to try to scare me.
00:38:58.800 --> 00:39:02.600
And so I had to ask
myself, you know,
00:39:02.600 --> 00:39:04.800
"Are you strong enough
to not really become
00:39:04.800 --> 00:39:06.500
afraid of all of that?"
00:39:06.500 --> 00:39:08.467
That has given me
more incentive
00:39:08.467 --> 00:39:11.200
to be here,
you know, uh,
00:39:11.200 --> 00:39:13.800
as a--
as a first aid person.
00:39:13.800 --> 00:39:17.500
We're all humans and I
don't want to allow people
00:39:17.500 --> 00:39:20.600
to think that I'm being
scared off by them.
00:39:23.267 --> 00:39:24.633
Being an Arizona guide,
00:39:24.633 --> 00:39:26.633
I have actually met
lots of people
00:39:26.633 --> 00:39:28.167
from lots
of countries.
00:39:28.167 --> 00:39:30.967
And you know what my
main question is, Pati?
00:39:30.967 --> 00:39:32.167
What?
00:39:32.167 --> 00:39:33.700
What do you make
for dinner?
00:39:33.700 --> 00:39:37.133
Because food is
something that we--
00:39:37.133 --> 00:39:38.867
everybody does it.
00:39:38.867 --> 00:39:42.000
But it's
a cultural thing.
00:39:42.000 --> 00:39:47.967
OK, so we have onion,
garlic, mushrooms,
00:39:47.967 --> 00:39:52.133
carrots, a whole bunch
of roasted jalapeños.
00:39:52.133 --> 00:39:53.767
Yum.
00:39:53.767 --> 00:39:56.533
And this go mixed
into that.
00:39:56.533 --> 00:39:59.367
So it's called
the western...
00:39:59.367 --> 00:40:01.167
Cottage pie.
00:40:01.167 --> 00:40:03.300
I mix this together.
00:40:03.300 --> 00:40:04.600
So it's your veggies,
00:40:04.600 --> 00:40:06.600
your meat
and your potatoes,
00:40:06.600 --> 00:40:08.833
all in one pot?
00:40:08.833 --> 00:40:10.300
Exactly.
00:40:10.300 --> 00:40:12.133
Shall I add
some pepper?
00:40:12.133 --> 00:40:13.467
Yes.
00:40:13.467 --> 00:40:16.867
This is looking
so delicious, Leslie.
00:40:16.867 --> 00:40:18.433
I'm so grateful.
00:40:18.433 --> 00:40:21.267
This is a traditional thing
and it was just so inexpensive
00:40:21.267 --> 00:40:23.567
to feed a lot of people.
00:40:23.567 --> 00:40:24.767
We use this.
00:40:24.767 --> 00:40:26.000
Oh, yeah.
00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:28.967
Because we'll get
that cheese melted.
00:40:28.967 --> 00:40:30.800
Yeah.
00:40:30.800 --> 00:40:33.467
See? Leslie knows
what she's doing.
00:40:33.467 --> 00:40:35.300
So yum.
00:40:35.300 --> 00:40:36.800
Let's see here.
00:40:36.800 --> 00:40:40.333
It looks delicious.
Oh, oh, oh.
00:40:40.333 --> 00:40:42.433
Come see the layers.
00:40:42.433 --> 00:40:45.633
Mmm. It's so comforting.
00:40:45.633 --> 00:40:48.633
And you love heat
as much as me.
00:40:48.633 --> 00:40:52.600
Leslie, this is
incredibly spicy.
00:40:53.933 --> 00:40:55.433
Pati, voice-over:
Not many of us
00:40:55.433 --> 00:40:56.900
could live alone
in a ghost town,
00:40:56.900 --> 00:40:59.900
but Leslie doesn't feel
alone as the path
00:40:59.900 --> 00:41:01.767
she's taken
has made her feel
00:41:01.767 --> 00:41:03.633
like we're
all a family.
00:41:03.633 --> 00:41:05.667
I think you're my sister,
no, I have a family.
00:41:05.667 --> 00:41:07.467
They're standing
right here.
00:41:08.567 --> 00:41:09.967
Pati, voice-over:
Leslie has made an art
00:41:09.967 --> 00:41:13.333
out of making travelers
feel welcome.
00:41:13.333 --> 00:41:15.500
In Nogales, Sonora,
in Mexico,
00:41:15.500 --> 00:41:18.600
is a man who makes art
from his travels.
00:41:18.600 --> 00:41:20.800
[Speaking Spanish]
00:41:23.467 --> 00:41:24.767
Pati, voice-over:
Jose Luis Otero keeps
00:41:24.767 --> 00:41:26.467
black water jugs
in his apartment
00:41:26.467 --> 00:41:27.933
in Nogales, Sonora.
00:41:27.933 --> 00:41:29.333
A visual reminder
00:41:29.333 --> 00:41:30.467
of the hidden trauma
he's faced.
00:41:30.467 --> 00:41:32.733
[Speaking Spanish]
00:41:38.767 --> 00:41:40.433
Pati, voice-over:
Two desperate attempts
00:41:40.433 --> 00:41:42.767
to flee violence
and certain death.
00:41:42.767 --> 00:41:45.933
The second journey
landed him in detention.
00:41:45.933 --> 00:41:48.600
[Speaking Spanish]
00:41:54.633 --> 00:41:56.300
Pati, voice-over:
As a child, José Luis
00:41:56.300 --> 00:41:58.433
watched Bob Ross paint on TV.
00:41:58.433 --> 00:42:01.167
Decades later,
he found his passion.
00:42:01.167 --> 00:42:03.733
[Speaking Spanish]
00:43:01.933 --> 00:43:03.500
Pati, voice-over:
Gia del Pino met José Luis
00:43:03.500 --> 00:43:05.100
at Kino, where she works.
00:43:05.100 --> 00:43:06.600
More than just a shelter,
00:43:06.600 --> 00:43:08.833
Kino offers hundreds
of holistic programs
00:43:08.833 --> 00:43:11.600
to help migrants,
including art.
00:43:11.600 --> 00:43:13.000
Hola, mucho gusto.
00:43:13.000 --> 00:43:14.467
Pati, voice-over:
Today, José Luis is
00:43:14.467 --> 00:43:15.900
an art teacher here,
00:43:15.900 --> 00:43:17.800
helping migrants
express their feelings...
00:43:17.800 --> 00:43:18.833
Excelente.
00:43:18.833 --> 00:43:20.233
Pati, voice-over:
with paint.
00:43:20.233 --> 00:43:22.800
[Speaking Spanish]
00:44:01.667 --> 00:44:03.133
Pati, voice-over:
This group of migrants
00:44:03.133 --> 00:44:04.433
have just arrived at Kino
00:44:04.433 --> 00:44:06.333
and this
is their first class.
00:44:06.333 --> 00:44:08.167
[Speaking Spanish]
00:44:08.167 --> 00:44:10.067
Pati, voice-over:
This boy escaped the threat
00:44:10.067 --> 00:44:12.733
of the cartel with his
mother and two siblings.
00:44:12.733 --> 00:44:16.567
[Speaking Spanish]
00:44:43.967 --> 00:44:45.800
Pati, voice-over:
José Luis has experienced
00:44:45.800 --> 00:44:48.133
first-hand the therapeutic
nature of art
00:44:48.133 --> 00:44:50.600
and encourages travelers
to paint what they've
00:44:50.600 --> 00:44:52.967
experienced
on their journeys.
00:44:52.967 --> 00:44:56.733
[Speaking Spanish]
00:45:14.467 --> 00:45:16.300
Pati, voice-over: Few things
are as satisfying
00:45:16.300 --> 00:45:17.900
as nourishing
a human need.
00:45:17.900 --> 00:45:20.667
For José Luis, it's
healing through art.
00:45:23.833 --> 00:45:27.100
For Lupita León, it's
healing through food.
00:45:27.100 --> 00:45:29.767
[Speaking Spanish]
00:45:31.900 --> 00:45:33.833
Pati, voice-over:
Lupita is a chef at Kino.
00:45:34.967 --> 00:45:37.900
Her warm smile
and incredibly tasty food
00:45:37.900 --> 00:45:40.600
greets weary travelers
every day.
00:45:40.600 --> 00:45:44.067
[Speaking Spanish]
00:46:10.433 --> 00:46:11.733
Pati, voice-over:
Lupita and her family
00:46:11.733 --> 00:46:13.533
migrated to the U.S.
00:46:13.533 --> 00:46:15.600
from Michoacan, Mexico,
with documentation
00:46:15.600 --> 00:46:17.067
looking for better work.
00:46:17.067 --> 00:46:18.533
But after two years
struggling to make
00:46:18.533 --> 00:46:19.933
ends meet,
00:46:19.933 --> 00:46:21.433
they came back
to Nogales, Mexico.
00:46:21.433 --> 00:46:24.533
[Speaking Spanish]
00:46:51.867 --> 00:46:53.567
Pati, voice-over:
When she returned,
00:46:53.567 --> 00:46:55.267
she opened a food stand nearby,
00:46:55.267 --> 00:46:57.600
but also volunteered at Kino.
00:46:57.600 --> 00:46:59.867
And, when the previous
chef retired,
00:46:59.867 --> 00:47:01.933
Lupita was offered
the job.
00:47:01.933 --> 00:47:04.300
[Speaking Spanish]
00:47:17.133 --> 00:47:19.233
Pati, voice-over: Lupita
feeds so many people here
00:47:19.233 --> 00:47:22.067
and has no plans of
going back to the U.S.
00:47:22.067 --> 00:47:24.567
[Speaking Spanish]
00:47:24.567 --> 00:47:26.733
Pati, voice-over: Lupita's
food is a comfort blanket
00:47:26.733 --> 00:47:29.433
for so many searching
for stability.
00:47:29.433 --> 00:47:33.700
[Music]
00:47:33.700 --> 00:47:35.467
[Speaking Spanish]
00:47:36.967 --> 00:47:38.433
Pati, voice-over:
She even fed José Luis
00:47:38.433 --> 00:47:41.200
when he was a guest at Kino.
00:47:41.200 --> 00:47:43.800
[Speaking Spanish]
00:47:47.967 --> 00:47:50.400
Pati, voice-over:
And the world is noticing.
00:47:50.400 --> 00:47:52.033
His art is popping up
00:47:52.033 --> 00:47:54.567
in murals around Nogales
and much farther.
00:47:57.433 --> 00:48:00.900
While he can't cross
the border, his art can.
00:48:00.900 --> 00:48:02.900
Luis Sotero.
00:48:02.900 --> 00:48:04.200
[Applause]
00:48:04.200 --> 00:48:05.867
Pati, voice-over: Gia is
helping him set up shows
00:48:05.867 --> 00:48:07.900
in both Mexico and the U.S.
00:48:07.900 --> 00:48:10.100
hoping that through
his art he can open minds
00:48:10.100 --> 00:48:13.433
and hearts to the story
of the migrants' fight.
00:48:15.100 --> 00:48:17.567
Migrants like José Luis
who choose to cross
00:48:17.567 --> 00:48:19.700
through the Sonoran desert
are traveling
00:48:19.700 --> 00:48:21.367
through one of
the harshest regions
00:48:21.367 --> 00:48:24.067
in the western hemisphere.
00:48:24.067 --> 00:48:25.900
86,000 square miles.
00:48:25.900 --> 00:48:28.933
Temperatures reaching
118 degrees,
00:48:28.933 --> 00:48:31.967
and not a drop
of water in sight.
00:48:31.967 --> 00:48:35.133
Let me help you
with water...
00:48:35.133 --> 00:48:36.900
What can I help you with?
00:48:36.900 --> 00:48:38.400
Pati, voice-over: For 20 years,
the Tucson Samaritans
00:48:38.400 --> 00:48:40.400
have been hiking
into the desert
00:48:40.400 --> 00:48:41.733
including Walker Canyon,
00:48:41.733 --> 00:48:43.733
to leave water
for migrants.
00:48:43.733 --> 00:48:45.933
This is like
a 3.5 mile hike.
00:48:45.933 --> 00:48:49.300
It goes all the way
to the U.S.-Mexico border.
00:48:49.300 --> 00:48:51.400
Um, it's a frequented
migrant trail,
00:48:51.400 --> 00:48:53.733
so we like to leave
water, now that is cold,
00:48:53.733 --> 00:48:58.967
we're leaving blankets
and socks, and food.
00:48:58.967 --> 00:49:00.633
Pati, voice-over: There are
about 400 members
00:49:00.633 --> 00:49:03.700
of the Tucson Samaritans,
all volunteers.
00:49:03.700 --> 00:49:05.400
Gia joined the group
00:49:05.400 --> 00:49:07.733
when she moved to Tucson
three years ago.
00:49:07.733 --> 00:49:10.367
Pati: So what are most
of the stories
00:49:10.367 --> 00:49:14.767
that you find
these days?
00:49:16.900 --> 00:49:19.900
Gia: You know, mostly,
people are--are journeying,
00:49:19.900 --> 00:49:22.033
they're leaving
their home countries
00:49:22.033 --> 00:49:25.300
due to a lot
of violence.
00:49:25.300 --> 00:49:29.133
They're trying to find
security, safety,
00:49:29.133 --> 00:49:31.433
you know,
a more dignified life.
00:49:31.433 --> 00:49:32.867
Pati, voice-over:
Border patrol estimates
00:49:32.867 --> 00:49:36.633
that since 1998,
8000 migrants have died
00:49:36.633 --> 00:49:38.300
trying to cross
the desert.
00:49:38.300 --> 00:49:40.767
It's probably many
more than that,
00:49:40.767 --> 00:49:43.067
still that is not a deterrent.
00:49:43.067 --> 00:49:45.567
Most migrants used
to come from Mexico,
00:49:45.567 --> 00:49:47.400
but now they come
from South America,
00:49:47.400 --> 00:49:48.567
the Caribbean,
00:49:48.567 --> 00:49:51.533
Africa, and even Eastern Europe.
00:49:51.533 --> 00:49:53.300
Pati: What are the most
surprising things
00:49:53.300 --> 00:49:54.567
that you've found?
00:49:56.767 --> 00:49:58.400
Love letters.
00:49:59.800 --> 00:50:02.433
Photos.
00:50:02.433 --> 00:50:04.900
Bibles, rosaries.
00:50:04.900 --> 00:50:06.467
I think they found
something up here.
00:50:06.467 --> 00:50:08.433
They found something.
00:50:08.433 --> 00:50:12.367
We've just noticed that
there's one slipper here.
00:50:12.367 --> 00:50:13.900
It's a traveler's slipper.
00:50:13.900 --> 00:50:15.400
Pati, voice-over:
These carpet-sole booties
00:50:15.400 --> 00:50:16.900
are made
to hide footprints.
00:50:16.900 --> 00:50:18.567
They are one
of the few supplies
00:50:18.567 --> 00:50:20.933
that migrants received
from the coyotes.
00:50:20.933 --> 00:50:23.400
Smugglers who demand
thousands of dollars
00:50:23.400 --> 00:50:24.733
from each migrant.
00:50:24.733 --> 00:50:26.467
Those who survive
spend their lives
00:50:26.467 --> 00:50:28.567
repaying the coyotes
who often lie to them
00:50:28.567 --> 00:50:30.567
and leave them
for dead in the wild.
00:50:30.567 --> 00:50:32.567
Here, these are
border patrol
00:50:32.567 --> 00:50:34.300
just going on
on ATVs.
00:50:34.300 --> 00:50:40.033
[Engine rumbling]
00:50:42.967 --> 00:50:45.567
They're just searching
the terrain to see
00:50:45.567 --> 00:50:47.367
if there is
any migrant activity.
00:50:47.367 --> 00:50:49.700
So you're very cordial
with each other.
00:50:49.700 --> 00:50:51.800
They know your work,
you know their work.
00:50:51.800 --> 00:50:53.933
Yeah, and I think
that's important
00:50:53.933 --> 00:50:55.567
just to reduce harm,
00:50:55.567 --> 00:50:58.867
and allow us to do what
we need to out here.
00:50:58.867 --> 00:51:00.567
We left the water
in the last car.
00:51:00.567 --> 00:51:04.233
So you have the legal right
to provide water...
00:51:04.233 --> 00:51:05.667
Food, aid.
00:51:05.667 --> 00:51:07.367
I think the phrase is
00:51:07.367 --> 00:51:09.200
"further somebody's
illegal presence."
00:51:09.200 --> 00:51:10.567
We can't help
00:51:10.567 --> 00:51:13.433
somebody physically
move further.
00:51:13.433 --> 00:51:15.533
But we can help them
when we encounter them
00:51:15.533 --> 00:51:17.867
or leave things
that they can find.
00:51:17.867 --> 00:51:20.233
It's just relieving pain
and being humane.
00:51:20.233 --> 00:51:22.167
It's preventing deaths.
00:51:22.167 --> 00:51:28.433
[Music]
00:51:28.433 --> 00:51:30.033
Pati, voice-over:
At each water drop,
00:51:30.033 --> 00:51:31.367
volunteers check to see
00:51:31.367 --> 00:51:32.833
what supplies
have been used.
00:51:32.833 --> 00:51:35.367
We usually write
some message of hope.
00:51:35.367 --> 00:51:36.867
When you drop the water,
00:51:36.867 --> 00:51:39.000
you put the date
so that people know...?
00:51:39.000 --> 00:51:40.567
Brian: So that we know
when we come back.
00:51:40.567 --> 00:51:41.700
And so that you know.
00:51:41.700 --> 00:51:43.867
Tell me
about the meaning
00:51:43.867 --> 00:51:46.067
of the messages
in the bottles.
00:51:46.067 --> 00:51:50.033
Yeah, I wrote here,
"Migrar, migrar es amar."
00:51:50.033 --> 00:51:53.600
"Migration,
to migrate is to love."
00:51:53.600 --> 00:51:56.267
"Estamos contigo,"
"We're with you."
00:51:58.167 --> 00:52:00.700
"Que Dios te bendiga,"
"May God bless you."
00:52:00.700 --> 00:52:02.533
Pati, voice-over: For Gia,
this work is personal.
00:52:02.533 --> 00:52:04.700
Her mother is an immigrant
from Venezuela,
00:52:04.700 --> 00:52:07.067
seeking the American Dream
and her father was
00:52:07.067 --> 00:52:09.267
a political prisoner
in Cuba in the '80s
00:52:09.267 --> 00:52:11.433
who sought
asylum in the U.S.
00:52:11.433 --> 00:52:14.567
What drives you to do
this every day, Gia?
00:52:14.567 --> 00:52:16.367
[Speaking Spanish]
00:52:16.367 --> 00:52:18.267
[Laughter]
00:52:20.167 --> 00:52:23.200
No. Sorry.
This is so embarrassing.
00:52:23.200 --> 00:52:25.033
No.
No, no, no.
00:52:25.033 --> 00:52:26.500
Because you're...
00:52:26.500 --> 00:52:29.500
You're so connected
to these stories
00:52:29.500 --> 00:52:31.900
every day,
I've seen you at work.
00:52:31.900 --> 00:52:34.833
It's my calling,
and it's very hard work.
00:52:34.833 --> 00:52:37.267
It's very
emotionally-taxing,
00:52:37.267 --> 00:52:39.400
but it's also
very rewarding.
00:52:39.400 --> 00:52:40.767
The idea of
just families
00:52:40.767 --> 00:52:42.700
and people making
this journey
00:52:42.700 --> 00:52:45.367
and perishing and it's--
it's a preventable death.
00:52:45.367 --> 00:52:47.667
These are-- This is
not meant to happen.
00:52:47.667 --> 00:52:50.233
This is like one small
thing I can do.
00:52:50.233 --> 00:52:52.100
It's not much,
00:52:52.100 --> 00:52:54.333
but sometimes
it's life-saving.
00:52:54.333 --> 00:52:56.100
Pati, voice-over:
As a Mexican immigrant
00:52:56.100 --> 00:52:57.667
fortunate enough to have
00:52:57.667 --> 00:52:59.400
the means and family
support to get a visa,
00:52:59.400 --> 00:53:01.400
and become
a United States citizen,
00:53:01.400 --> 00:53:03.567
I can't help but imagine,
00:53:03.567 --> 00:53:05.533
if circumstances were different,
00:53:05.533 --> 00:53:07.833
what would it take
for me to risk it all
00:53:07.833 --> 00:53:10.667
in this unforgiving desert?
00:53:13.100 --> 00:53:14.500
The transformative nature
00:53:14.500 --> 00:53:16.533
of traveling through
these borderlands
00:53:16.533 --> 00:53:18.700
requires an ability
to hold space
00:53:18.700 --> 00:53:22.000
for all the complexities
it has to offer.
00:53:22.000 --> 00:53:23.667
Look at the sun.
00:53:23.667 --> 00:53:25.100
Pati, voice-over: The light
that shines perfectly
00:53:25.100 --> 00:53:27.600
in the dark corners of reality.
00:53:27.600 --> 00:53:30.533
Parts of me are a little
broken and torn.
00:53:30.533 --> 00:53:33.533
[Sings in O'odham]
00:53:33.533 --> 00:53:35.033
Pati, voice-over:
And parts of me have more
00:53:35.033 --> 00:53:36.433
hope than ever before.
00:53:37.700 --> 00:53:40.667
But all of me is
transformed and awake.
00:53:46.000 --> 00:53:51.700
[Music]
Distributor: Pragda Films
Length: 55 minutes
Date: 2023
Genre: Expository
Language: English; Spanish / English subtitles
Grade: Upper Elementary School, Middle School, High School, College, Adults
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
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