THRIVE—The First People: Yesterday, Today, and Forever—is a groundbreaking gallery at the Arizona Museum of Natural History. Instead of telling the story of the O’odham and Piipaash people from an outside perspective, THRIVE was built on a foundation of trust and mutual respect over the last three years. Leaders from both communities collaborated with our museum team, but they lead the narrative, design the content. Their leadership ensured their voices remained at the center.
This approach is our innovation: moving from “about” to “with.” Rather than interpreting Indigenous stories through archaeology alone, we created a platform where cultural storytelling stands alongside science.
Inside the black gallery, a river of light flows across the floor, guiding visitors on a journey through time. Along the way, they smell the juniper trees once grazed by mammoth, the smoke of cooking fires, and the desert itself. They test irrigation canals, echoing ancient farming ingenuity. Most importantly, they listen to stories told through focused audio speakers that create the intimacy of a one-to-one conversation.
Visitors are not simply informed—they are transported. Children play with canals and learn about desert agriculture. Adults reflect on creation stories and the sacredness of the river. International visitors connect through universal sensory cues.
The gallery has become a gathering point for community due to the planned educational components. The gallery space includes a live anthropology lab with educational components aligned with Arizona state standards. Our volunteers and staff bring this to life. In the months after opening, this educational outreach expanded with a four-part Speaker Series, bringing O’odham and Piipaash voices to live audiences. Each lecture was recorded and shared online, extending reach far beyond our walls.
The result is more than an exhibition. THRIVE has deepened our museum’s relationship with our Indigenous neighbors, reshaped how we think about storytelling, and inspired visitors to see the first peoples of Arizona not as a vanished past but as thriving cultures today. THRIVE also serves as a model for other museums looking to innovate how indigenous stories are told.
Partners
- Salt River Pima/Maricopa Indian Community
- Gila River Indian Community GRIC
- SRP (Salt River Project)
- Mead Foundation
- AZMNH Foundation
- City of Mesa
