The Kitt Peak National Observatory is located approximately fifty miles west of Tucson, Arizona and has resided on the Tohono O’odham Nation for over six decades.
The O’odham name for Kitt Peak is I’ilogam Du’ag which means manzanita bush mountain. I’oligam Du’ag is the second highest point on the land of the Tohono O’odham. It sits below the sacred Baboquivari Peak, which can be easily seen from the Mayall telescope. In the traditional beliefs of the O’odham, their creator I’itoi lives in the Baboquivari Mountains also referred to as Waw Giwulk. The DESI collaboration is honored to be studying the physical mysteries of the universe on the O’odham jewed (People’s land).
Translation of the above text into the language of the Tohono O’odham is under way!
