Red-Tailed Hawk on Ak-Chin Indian Sign
by Judy Kennedy
Title
Red-Tailed Hawk on Ak-Chin Indian Sign
Artist
Judy Kennedy
Medium
Photograph - Photo
Description
During the winter of 2014, a Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) perched regularly on this sign next to the Ak-Chin Indian Community usually around sunset. The Ak-Chin Indians are a small tribe of Pima descent living in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona about 58 miles south of Phoenix. They are famous for their innovative agricultural techniques conserving water, and of course, Harrah's Casino which is not far from where this picture was taken. Ak-Chin is a Tohono O'odham word meaning "mouth of the wash" or "where the wash loses itself in the ground." The wash referred to here is the Vekol Wash, an important xeroriparian habitat with ecological and historical significance. This long dry wash runs through their land and is adjacent to mine, providing never-ending artistic opportunities for me and my camera. It routinely floods during monsoon season in late summer, reshaping the contours of its boundaries and leaving behind a lush green oasis bursting with new life. The Indians picked a wonderful place for their progressive farming. Hawks know a good thing when they see it too. The nearby fields, orchards, and water canals are a perfect haven for them and other birds, as seen in many of my photographs and videos. This one on my Sonoran Desert Wildlife YouTube Channel, titled “Indian Birdland,” is specifically about some of the birds (including raptors) that can be seen in and around the Ak-Chin Community, and features many artistic photos published on this website: https://tinyurl.com/yytdg4w6
Uploaded
October 4th, 2019
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