N:wa Twe' Mac (They Are With Us)
For "N:wa Twe' Mac (They Are With Us)", the artist made traditional Tohono O’odham (hu’uli) grandmother dolls, which offer remembrance, comfort, security, spiritual protection, and love. These dolls serve to remind us that we are not alone- as the artist states, “Our grandmothers create a never-ending circle around us, which encompasses our spirituality, our power, and our physical being.”
About the Artist
Thomasa Rivas is a Tohono O’odham mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, whose family has lived at Ali Chugk Community (Menegers Dam) “forever;” since before the Tohono O’odham Nation and reservation, Mexico, or the United States were created. Rivas’ family continues to follow the O’odham him:dag (traditional worldview), including participation in summer ceremonies which require travel into Mexico, which has become more difficult with recent restrictions.
