The Role of Ofelia Zepeda in the Tohono O’odham Language and Cultural Revitalization

Abstract

Tohono O’odham (formerly Papago), a Native American language spoken in southern Arizona and northern Mexico, has been frequently reported as endangered. The article aims to present efforts to revitalize and stabilize the language (and its culture), particularly the activities of Ofelia Zepeda, who is a member of the Tohono O’odham Indian Nation. Zepeda is a professor of linguistics at the University of Arizona in Tucson and has been contributing to the revival of her mother tongue, primarily as a linguist, language educator and activist. She is also known for her creative writing and incorporates Tohono O’odham into her poems.