Casa Grande's O'Odham Tash

Grande Whoops It Up

If you have a Southwestern event that looks as if it's going to sink on the rocks of Dullsville, add Indians. That means instant color, fortified interest and head-to-toe liveliness.

Better yet, start with Indians. That's what they do at Casa Grande's O'Odham Tash. To get maximum flavor, though, the town doesn't settle for one Indian tribe. It goes all-out-Indian, inviting proud redmen and women from America-anywhere: Apache, Hopi, Navajo, and the Plains Indians. The Maricopa, Pima and Papago, on the other hand, are more than guests, they're the backbone of the festival, and one of the main reasons for its existence, as Jim Gorraiz, President of the O'Odham Tash council, explains, "One of our main objectives is to promote better relations between our community and these neighboring tribes. And we also strongly want to promote and preserve their heritage and culture."

The idea for the celebration came up more than a decade ago, during a brainstorming session between civic-minded Casa Grandeans and Papago and Gila River tribes. The year 1967 was slated as the date of birth. But a name for it? Something catchy, yet simple. A number of ideas popped up but got a quick thumbs down. Finally, when it looked as if all might be lost for want of a name, Leonard Johnson, a full-blooded Papago, stood up and boomed, "What's the Indian word for Indian? "O'Odham" (pronounced autumn), they all replied. And the rest was easy. "Days"

followed, "Tash" in Papago. Since then O'Odham Tash has leapfrogged from a small town affair to what Casa Grande folks call a major winter attraction in the Southwest. Naturally, it includes the "largest allIndian rodeo in the Nation." And for three days annually, usually a Friday, Saturday and Sunday in mid-February, (Feb. 17, 18 and 19 in 1978), a crowd of up to 90,000 Indians and non-Indians may be swept up in the action and excitement of the festival.

It's a merry-go-round where you get off and on any place you like. Most events run all three days. And it takes that long to see it all. To try and ogle the collective happenings in just one day, you'd have to be in at least three places at once.

On Friday there are the Indian Arts and Crafts show, the All-Indian Rodeo and ceremonial dances.

The Arts and Crafts exhibit is a claustrophobic experience over meticulous metal, leather and stone work. Held in the Casa Grande Armory, it is a crowd-waltz of turquoise tyros and pros, each jockeying to look or to buy genuine Indian-made products.

Of course, the big bash of the O'Odham Tash is the rodeo. Indians on horseback are everywhere. And people are crowding into the bleachers made to handle about 3000 people. “We've added 1000 more seats to take care of the fans, says Dick Powell, Rodeo Chairman. But there is standing room only by the time the Grand Entry begins.

The old-time Indians and pioneers wouldn't have believed it. Whites and tribal folks sitting side-by-side cheering Indian contestants. And contest they do. There's team roping, calf roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing and riding saddle broncs as well as the malevolent brahma bulls.

It is a flagrant fracus between man and beast, a duel where it's necessary to be ambidexterous: one hand to hang onto your animal and the other to hang onto your hat.

"One of our main objectives is to promote better relations between our community and these neighboring tribes. And we also strongly want to promote and preserve their heritage and culture!"

Last year, more than 500 Indian cowboys and cowgirls competed, taking home more than $16,000 in prize money.

Then on Saturday and Sunday the rodeo is repeated plus there are barbecues, Indian band concerts and parades. These last two colorful events emanate from the junction of Coolidge Avenue and Florence Boulevard, traipse west to Sacaton Street, south to Second Street, east to Florence Street, north to Fourth Street, then it hangs a right to wind up on Dry Lake Street. In all a total of one and three quarters miles.

That's a pretty good hike at a casual pace, but some of the Indian dance groups perform most of the way, doing tricky footwork and singing to the sounds of drums.

Along with the marching bands, horses and up to 50 floats, there are the tribal beauty queens, prize winners anywhere, and the proud grand marshals, riding ramrod straight, all pastpresidents of the O'Odham Tash board.

On Sunday the parade is different; New this year is a Pima and Papago cultural display in the arts and crafts exhibit, showing scenes of Indian life 200 years ago.

Then on Friday there will be such traditional Indian games as Toka (pronounced dahka), a hockey-like game played with clubs and rubber or wooden balls, and children will compete in a 12-mile race. Admission to these events is free.

O'Odham Tash means “Indian Days,” all right. It is a therapeutic buffet of the old and the new, the past and the present. It is whoa! golly! gee-whiz! and peaceful war whoops. And the folks at Casa Grande are sure it is going to get even better.New this year is a Pima and Papago cultural display in the arts and crafts exhibit, showing scenes of Indian life 200 years ago.Highly detailed and beautifully executed costumes bring the Indian tribal dances to vivid life during the three days of the annual O'Odham Tash celebration.

O'Odham Tash includes the "largest all-Indian rodeo in the Nation".

(Right) Performers 'on stage' at the All-Indian Rodeo.

(Below right) Back-to-back crowds jam the Indian Arts and Crafts Fair Show.