A silhouette illustration of a beautiful gnarled tree, with windswept leaves and a twisted trunk. An elegant line curves near the base of the trunk, while the tree roots nestle against the earth.

Desert Kinship with Naomi Ortiz

Naomi Ortiz is a disabled Mestize poet, artist, and facilitator with a deep spiritual connection to the Arizona borderlands.  In this series of three intertwined conversations, Naomi and I explore the way disability identity shapes our relationship with the lands we love and how intimate connection to a particular place shapes our ecological consciousness.  Read more to savor Naomi’s deep wisdom around interdependence, the power of bearing witness, and the urgency of tending our relationships with the ancestors and with the land itself.

The Conversations

Naomi Ortiz in conversation with Julia Watts Belser

Naomi Ortiz in conversation with Julia Watts Belser

Naomi Ortiz in conversation with Julia Watts Belser