TOHONO OODHAM COMMUNITY ACTION

Causes: Arts & Culture, Children & Youth, Cultural & Ethnic Awareness, Economic Development, Food, Microfinance, Rural Economic Development, Soup Kitchens, Youth Development Programs

Mission: TOCA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community-based organiation dedicated to creating a healthy, culturally-vital, and sustainable Tohono O''odham Nation. TOCA has adopted four principles that guide our decisions about program goals and strategies: • O’odham Himdag: "Wisdom from our past creating solutions for our future" – The O’odham Himdag (Desert People’s Way) guides us as we seek to develop culturally appropriate solutions to the challenges that confront our community.  By drawing upon our heritage and cultural traditions we are able to create lasting solutions and a stronger community. • Community Assets: "See our resources, not just our needs" – Our community already possesses many of the assets that are necessary to create a healthy and sustainable community.  TOCA encourages people to take stock of our various community assets in order to develop indigenous solutions, rather than focus on the problems while importing “solutions” from the outside.  The wisdom of our elders, the enthusiasm of our young people, the richness of our land, the centrality of our extended families, and our desire to create a healthier community all contribute to the capacity to create solutions that will be culturally-based and sustainable. • Encourage Community Self-Sufficiency – Social programs on the Tohono O’odham Nation have too often created dependent relationships which destroy the sustainable structures that have previously supported the people. Programs have often led to destructive dependency where self-sufficiency had previously existed.  In response, TOCA attempts to re-empower the community to become increasingly self-sufficient.   • Context is Crucial: "Strengthening the material roots of O’odham culture" – It is not enough to simply preserve cultural activities, such as ceremonies, songs and stories.  The material basis out of which these cultural practices grew must also be maintained.  A ground blessing dance loses much of its power when it is performed for an audience in an auditorium rather than in the fields were the O’odham have planted for generations.  TOCA works to redevelop the material foundation of the O’odham culture.