If you live in or near Tucson or Phoenix, AZ, you may notrealize that there is another world right in your back yard - one thatis very worth your while to explore.

Ofelia Zepeda and others of the Tohono O'odham tribe have spent several years pioneering the art of writing in their native language, and the results are spectacular. This bilingual CD comes with a beautifully designed booklet containing all the O'odham and English texts so that you can follow along as she reads. There are some 16 texts about varied topics, including personal experiences and historical and tribal lore. Each is read aloud in both O'odham and English. If you don't know much about this desert tribe, these poems will educate you in addition to edifying you in that way that only true poetry can.

Zepeda's voice is intoxicating whether she's reading in English or O'odham. O'odham is her native language, so her English is slightly tinged with an accent that is reminiscent of desert rain or maybe that warm, safe feeling that comes from being part of a close-knit family.

This is a great introduction to her work which appears in several volumes of Sun Tracks, a literary series published by the University of Arizona. It offers a window into the worldview of the Desert People that countless volumes of dusty old anthropological tomes could never quite get right.

If, after listening to this CD, you find yourself interested in knowing more about the O'odham language as I did, Zepeda has written a grammar of O'odham (or Papago as it is also known) which is also available from Amazon. It is entitled _A Papago Grammar_.

Intended as a first year primer, Zepeda's grammar is a rigorous, concise, and complete resource in itself.

Presentation is similar to the user-friendly Wheelock Latin classic. Natural, contemporary examples are given in abundance, using a well-designed orthography. A full bilingual glossary of all vocabulary is given. A companion casette is available.

This work is engaging and suitable for linguists or first-year students with no prior second-language experience. Unconditionally recommended!