Interdisciplinary Oral History Project Seeks “Tales from Tumamoc”
Monday, March 11, 2019
University of Arizona Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry and Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill are proud to announce the launching of oral history project Cuéntame Más: Tales from Tumamoc.
Starting Tuesday March 12th, University of Arizona scholars will welcome anyone and everyone who has a story to share about Tumamoc Hill. Half way up the Hill in the parking lot for the research buildings of the Desert Laboratory, walkers will find the Cúentame Más trailer, which features the photography of Paul Mirocha, Tumamoc’s Artist-in-residence. This mobile recording studio will offer a venue for long time walkers or first time visitors to share their perspectives of Tumamoc Hill.
“It is essentially Story Corps for Tumamoc,” said Tumamoc Director Ben Wilder. “We want to hear what Tumamoc Hill means to you to better understand the unique connection between people and this place.”
Interviewees will have optional portraits taken by National Geographic photographer Bill Hatcher and will have their interview audio recorded right on the hill next to the Desert Lab. The resulting product will be a portrait with an excerpt of the interview as a brief caption. “Just as Humans of New York is able to give you a sense of the vibrant culture of a city and intimate stories we all have, Tales From Tumamoc will capture the remarkable stories right here in the heart of our city,” Javier Duran, Director of the Confluencenter, shared.
Tumamoc, the Anglicization of Cemamagi Du'ag the Tohono O’odham name for the site meaning “hill of the horned lizard,” is an 860-acre ecological preserve in the heart of Tucson managed by the University of Arizona and Pima County. It is also the birthplace of ecology and arid land studies, earning it a US National Historical Landmark designation.
Interviews for Cuéntame Más: Tales from Tumamoc will be running into April, see the schedule here. To see the images and stories that emerge follow the Desert Lab and Confluencenter on Instagram at @confluencenteruofa and @desert.laboratory.
The Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry facilitates interdisciplinary research at the University of Arizona, especially between the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Confluencenter advances creative, collaborative research and shares it with the community. More details are available at Confluencenter.arizona.edu.