The Desert Smells Like Rain: A Naturalist in O'odham Country

by Gary Paul Nabhan

Longtime residents of the Sonoran Desert, the Tohono O'odham people have spent centuries living off the land—a land that most modern citizens of southern Arizona consider totally inhospitable. Ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan has lived with the Tohono O'odham, long known as the Papagos, observing the delicate balance between these people and their environment. Bringing O'odham voices to the page at every turn, he writes elegantly of how they husband scant water supplies, grow crops, and utilize wild edible foods. Woven through his account are coyote tales, O'odham children's impressions of the desert, and observations on the political problems that come with living on both sides of an international border. Whether visiting a sacred cave in the Baboquivari Mountains or attending a saguaro wine-drinking ceremony, Nabhan conveys the everyday life and extraordinary perseverance of these desert people in a book that has become a contemporary classic of environmental literature.

Genres: Nonfiction, Anthropology, Nature, Native American, Science, Travel, History

148 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Gary Paul Nabhan is an internationally-celebrated nature writer, seed saver, conservation biologist and sustainable agriculture activist who has been called "the father of the local food movement" by Utne Reader, Mother Earth News, Carleton College and Unity College. Gary is also an orchard-keeper, wild forager and Ecumenical Franciscan brother in his hometown of Patagonia, Arizona near the Mexican border. For his writing and collaborative conservation work, he has been honored with a MacArthur "genius" award, a Southwest Book Award, the John Burroughs Medal for nature writing, the Vavilov Medal, and lifetime achievement awards from the Quivira Coalition and Society for Ethnobiology.

--from the author's website

Reviews

[Leah (Jane Speare) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and easy book of nature essays about the Papago Indians. I had to read it for class, but it's quite interesting and actually entertaining; he's a good writer. I recommend.

[Chad Kwiatkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for residents of and visitors to the Sonoran Desert. It is amazing that such a short book can provide to such a deep connection to the land and people who have inhabited it for tens of thousands of years.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1982, this is a book which primarily investigates the agricultural practices of the Tohono O'odham people (Papago Indians) of southern Arizona and the adjacent area of Mexico; practices which are well-adapted to desert conditions, but which are dying out in modern times. There are also sections of the book which explain other aspects of Tohono O'odham life, particularly religious practices; Nabhan visits and explains the meaning of a secluded cave shrine where people leave offerings, the Children's Shrine (commemorating a mythological sacrifice), a syncretic saint's statue in northern Mexico which people make pilgrimages to, and a traditional drink-and-purge ceremony intended to encourage the rains. He treats the subject, and the people he writes about, with an admirable lack of condescension.

Overall, the book encompasses a mixture of anthropology, agriculture, and nature writing. The anthropology is definitely the predominant flavor, however, which was a bit disappointing to me; I was expecting a book more about the natural history of the region. It's still a very worthwhile book; just be aware that, for the most part- except for a short introductory passage, and a description of the author's hike to the cave shrine- it only really discusses the desert in terms of how the Papago interact with it.

The primary complaint I would have is that the book is quite short; it feels a bit lacking in depth on some subjects, and not entirely satisfying.

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The desert can be sustainable for those with the old knowledge. It is sad that the border of the US and Mexico have divided an ancient people who survived before any government help. Don't want to give too much away. This is non-fiction and a good consistent read.

[Katie Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the natural first-person narration of this book. The stories are a mix of old and new, myth and science, but all are so meaningful for those of us living in the area.

[Mark Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Desert Smells Like Rain: A naturalist in O’odham Country, by Gary Paul Nabhan, 1982. The best naturalists who write bring a dimension to their work that spans the scientific to the spiritual, and the simple to the complex. Gary Nabhan is one such naturalist.

I heard of this book and its author in the 1980s, perhaps from Ron Kroese, the co-founder of the Land Stewardship Project. I have wanted to read it since that time, and then, out of the blue, was given a copy of it by Randy Clough following a recent trip he had to Arizona. It was a great gift.

I loved this book, and encourage anyone to read it who wants to immerse themselves in writing that describes the wholeness possible in an ecosystem in which humans are a contributing, functioning part of a healthy whole. The story of the Tohono O’odham and the Sonoran Desert in southwest Arizona and northwest Mexico in which they live is a beautiful and powerful one, as told by Nabhan through his conversations, work, and interactions with the land and its people. For a life-long Midwesterner living in a relatively lush climate, the ways of nature in the Sonora are fascinating.

But the full realization is this – the beauty, complexity, and disciplines of nature that sustains all the life of a place are present everywhere, in every place. Everywhere, that is, except where they have been destroyed by humankind and our systems of extraction and exploitation. Nabhan points out the damage that was occurring in the Sonora circa 1981, too. Which leaves me, after reading The Desert Smells Like Rain, wanting to know how things are now. Has increasing Tohono O’odham sovereignty meant restoration of the land? Or has industrial agriculture and other extractive approaches (mining? Water diversion? Luxury condos?) meant further decline in the health of the land and its ability to sustain?

But wholeness, sustainability, and regeneration is possible, which is the core of Nabhan’s book. In fact, human communities can not only not do harm, but be fully a part of a diverse and functioning ecosystem. Here are a couple of excerpts:

“…Not just crops were lost – whole field ecosystems atrophied. Roughly 10,000 acres of crops were grown via Papago (Tohono O’odham) runoff farming in 1913; by 1960, there were only 1,000 acres of floodwater fields in the Tohono O’odham Reservation. Today...less than 100 acres."
“ While the remaining acreage is miniscule, it is all that is left of an ecologically sensitive subsistence strategy that has endured in deserts for centuries. Here, not only a rich heritage of (drought-resistant) crops remain, but also co-evolved micro-organisms and weeds, as well as pests and beneficial insects. Amaranths, for instance, are hosts for insects that control corn-loving pests. Papago fields harbor nitrogen-fixing bacteria which naturally associate with tepary bean roots. A species of solitary bee has been found visiting annual devil’s claw in Papago fields, but despite a thorough search has not been found on wild annual devil’s claw elsewhere. Moreover, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between these plants and their Tohono O’odham stewards; the Tohono O’odham have evolved field management skills that have allowed them to sustain food production for centuries without destroying the desert soils. The plants have evolved the ability to grow quickly, root deeply, disperse heat loads, and provide numerous seeds for those who harvest them. These durable functional relationships between humans and other lifeforms are the products of a slow evolution and cannot be remade in a day. No amount of academic research on water harvesting and drought-hardy crops can replace a time-tried plant/man symbiosis such as that in which the Tohono O’odham have participated.”

Another passage in the essay “Where the Birds Are Our Friends” describes the much greater level of biodiversity in and around a desert oasis around which there is a Tohono O’odham village compared to an uninhabitated oasis now held and protected the by National Park Service. Nabhan talks with a Tohono O’odham farmer about this:

"When I explained to Remedio that we were finding far fewer birds and plants at the uninhabited oasis, he grew introspective. Finally, the farmer had to speak.

'I’ve been thinking over what you say about not so many birds living over there anymore. That’s because those birds, they come where the people are. When the people live and work in a place, and plant their seeds and water their trees, the birds go live with them. They like those places, there is plenty to eat, and that’s when we are friends to them.' ”

The complex interactions of nature and some simple truths add up to a very fine book. I hope in the coming years to immerse myself not only in reading more like it, but in being a part of this life in my place on earth more fully, and as a friend.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd heard of Gary Nabhan through some essays of Wendell Berry's where he shows up, and was delighted to find this book at a house where we stayed in Arizona this spring. Having just traveled much of the territory Nabhan discusses was helpful in picturing it all, and as we're still touring the state, I've been finding locations where tepary beans are served (lots of places here make veggie burger patties based on them), and getting into discussions with restaurant staff about the beans and if they know about the flash-flood style of agriculture Nabhan discusses in a few of the pieces in this book. Usually they don't, so now I feel like an absolute font of local knowledge.

[Willa Guadalupe Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essentially a snapshot of how Mr. Nabhan sees the Tohono O'odham relating to their world. As a person who grew up in the Tucson area I related to much of it & was delighted with the rest. This book, as well as his others, are so evocative of the area around Tucson that they help me to wait patiently until I can move back. I am looking forward to once again becoming conversant with desert flora & fauna & learning to live gently in this fragile area that I once read described as "more fragile than forests & more beautiful than water".

[Naomi Ayala · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a long-time fan of Nabhan's and had the pleasure of meeting him and partaking in a smoked cricket snack during a talk he gave in Squaw Valley years ago. I enjoy his prose and enjoyed learning some things about the Papago. This book is written more from an ethnographer's point of view than a naturalist's, though. Culture and the people of a place are, of course, inseparable from their natural environment. But I'd expected more of an ethnobotany book. All that said, I thought he showed respect and deep appreciation for the Papago.

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in 1982, Nabhan shares his experiences on the Tohono O'odham reservation--but without mystifying and making the community feel like 'others' and without the suggestion that Indigenous peoples are vanishing. He keeps secrets and information not meant to be widely disseminated to himself while also offering readers enough information to be informed.

[Magdalena Julkowska · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about the life, habits and challenges imposed by modern life on the Papago native community in the Sonora desert. For some reason it took me some time to get into the writing style of the author, and I often fell out of it. I think it might be because it was on a verge of scientific and popular writing in a way that I am not sure I am used to. But I learned heaps!

[M Carlisle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great read, and I'm looking forward to more of his work! Just stuck on the slurs on page 116...reading anything as a queer person, you always wonder when you'll be considered "other". Makes me curious about their lives, and how they're doing, and hoping things are better for them now. Puts Nabhan's usage of "coming out of the closet" in Mesquite in perspective

[Marie Carmean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible book by a naturalist that covers the world of the (now Tohono O'odham) Papago Indians. It was published in 1982, and covers their lifestyle, the general history and the effects of living in a desert environment. So readable, I could hardly put it down. Very informative. A charming book, filled with information about the Indians of the Sonoran Desert.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some structural imperfections, but the uniqueness of the narrative and beauty of the language warrant 5 stars. The flow from composite narrative to scientific fact is smoother in some places than others.

[Melissa Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful naturalist account of some of the farming practices of the Desert People of the Sonoran Desert. Neither condescending nor overly praising their ways, he presents what they do in beautiful prose. Anyone who loves nature writing will enjoy this book.

[Natalie Carrasco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This read should be a requirement for lifelong Arizonans. Brilliant, amusing, and bold. You get poetry, wisdom of the natural world, and powerful native storytelling in under 200 pages. I’m putting every one of Nabhan’s books on my list!

[Antonio De Cunzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent ethnography with particular insights on desert agriculture, among other topics.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gem of a book, it made me homesick for the southwest.

[Cyndie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool desert lifestyle book.

[Jonathon Goldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An especially (for me) engaging exploration of indigenous sustainability in the Sonoran Desert. I hope I can better help promote some of these values in my wonderful third career....

[Evan Pierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written, easy to read and digest while providing great insight into the O'odham peoples culture

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge 2024 Prompt 42: A nonfiction book about Indigenous people

[Adam Bender · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, satisfying read with great insights into the O'odham culture and how people live in the Arizona desert. I read this as I researched the location for some of my own writing, and I will certainly use what I learned here.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has been on my shelves for a VERY long time, since we lived in Arizona (at least fourteen years?). I finally only got around to reading it because of a prompt for a reading challenge.

This book made me wildly nostalgic for Tucson and made me wish I'd spent more time hiking/in the mountains when I'd been there. It was also a nice addition to having recently read Death Comes for the Archbishop and thinking about how cultures/agriculture/religion changed among indigenous peoples as Europeans and later white Americans pushed West.

Despite having friends in Tucson who spent a lot of time with the O'Odham, I knew very little about them as a people prior to this book. I especially enjoyed the chapter on cactus wine, because, as Nabhan points out -- an outsider's understanding of the annual saguaro fruit harvesting is highly romanticized. Nabhan's representation is both grittier and more beautiful.

I thoroughly enjoyed this.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this one. It was written in the 1970's and so has a style that kind of takes you back. What I found quite sad is that instead of moving closer to this impressive body of knowledge, this understanding of how to live well in this beautiful, fragile, if unforgiving desert of ours, through the years we have so clearly stepped farther and farther away from not just the practice but interest of living in sync. Remeber that old folk song that has the refrain, "When will we ever learn? When will we ever learn?" Peter, Paul, and Mary probably. I keep hearing that song when I think of this book.

[Howard Mansfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gary Nabhan knows the Sonoran desert and the Tohono O’odham. He respects the privacy of his O’odham friends by presenting composite characters. He stays away from their very public woes – drinking, domestic violence -- and does not make a fetish of their old ways as he writes about traditional farming and ceremonies. He avoids the traps that other writers fall into when they make Indians a “social problem” or solely a bearer of a pure ancient past. I would have welcomed more depth, but The Desert Smells Like Rain excels at what it does: filling in the blank spaces on the map, describing the Sonoran desert and giving glimpses into the complexities of life on the O’odham’s reservation.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this on a spring-like afternoon while staying up in the Catskills last week.

A short, beautiful book of vignettes exploring aspects of native Papago desert agriculture, from traditional harvesting of unpredictable floodwaters to food preparation practices. There's a running note of shame and sadness throughout, as Nabhan writes of the how the once large and interconnected Papago lands have become 'enclosed' and Papago health suffers as it becomes ever harder for them to maintain their traditional farming and foods.

[Abby]

This is me giving Gary Paul Nabhan his second chance...and he did beautifully. Perhaps it's because he wears his anthropological hat better than his natural science one, but this beautiful little volume gave off a genuine glow of affection for the landscape and the people in addition to his (indispensable and important) points. And there are PICTURES! Finally, someone who gets it!

So, Mr. Nabhan, I don't know what to say. Get that anthropological hat back out, I guess.

[wheels · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last time I read this book was the last time I moved to the desert. It's a good place to start when learning to understand the desert. If you've experienced rain in the Sonoran Desert, you'll know exactly what the title of this book smells like.

[Priscilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful introduction to a native peoples and their way of life, adapted to living in the desert for centuries and centuries. Fascinating scientifically as well as wonderful stories. Very well written.