TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Lucie AUBOURG, "In US national parks, a historical wound begins to heal"
Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan, member of the Tohono O'odham Nation, in Saguaro National Park on November 17, 2023. Most national parks were set up in areas that are Indigenous ancestral lands. From the 19th century onward, Native Americans were expelled from them or forced to cede them via treaties with unequal terms. Ramon-Sauberan, 35, a member of the Tohono O'odham Nation, recalls difficult interactions with Saguaro park employees who "shouted at them" when she and other family members came to pick the fruit of the cacti, considered sacred, during her childhood. This tradition has been practiced by her people since "time immemorial," recounts Ramon-Sauberan, who has a PhD in American Indian studies from the University of Arizona. Syrup made from Saguaro cactus fruit is used for ceremonies and as medicine. (Photo by Lucie AUBOURG / AFP)