Day 6 - Photographing Artifacts of Migration, Communal Sustainability, and Wrapping Up

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 Dearest Gentle Reader,

    As far as last days go, today was definitely a memorable one. We began the day by visiting Tom Kiefer's art gallery in the Ajo plaza. Kiefer's three studios were filled with artifacts he had collected while working as a janitor at the processing center near Ajo. He worked for 11 years for this border patrol station. After apprehending migrants crossing the desert at these border control processing centers, the border control officers would seize any items deemed potentially dangerous or nonessential. Tom noticed as he started his work there that many cans of food would get thrown away, so he asked his supervisor if he could take this food to Ajo's food bank. He was granted this permission, but as he began to collect he started to notice the other items that were taken from the migrants. These items, deemed dangerous and unnecessary, were often children's socks, stuffed animals, deodorants, letters, and family photos. Kiefer began to collect these items and bring them home. He collected these things with the knowledge that he would soon begin to photograph these artifacts to share with the world. Because he could not start this work while working with border control (he would be fired and possibly face other consequences), Kiefer quit his job after eleven years and began to photograph these items. As we toured his gallery, Kiefer gave us background and communicated the impact of each image. 

    After visiting the galleries, we had about an hour to have lunch. We were allowed to tour the plaza and buy lunch or eat a lunch we prepared at the hotel. Many of us ate at a small, local coffee shop named Oasis Coffee. Following this short break, we drove down the road to a communal living space here in Ajo. At this house, we learned about a different style of living and how it can create more sustainable relationships and habits.

    We returned home and indulged in a two hour siesta where we were provided some rest. As the sun lowered and the temperature cooled, we joined together for our final dinner where we enjoyed a local treat, Sonoran Enchiladas. The food was paired with a delectable hibiscus tea and pineapple sorbet, layered with chamoy and rimmed with tajín. As we ate, we were graced with the presence of indigenous elder Lorraine. Following dinner, we gathered around an unlit (fire safety) fire pit to listen to the stories of Lorraine's life. We learned of the history of her people and what life was like growing up in Ajo. As darkness surrounded us, we prepared to travel the short distance to the top of a hill where we hope to see the meteor shower to close out our wondrous adventures in Ajo. 


Tomorrow we set out for the Tucson airport to return to our beloved families, homes, and phones.

Love,

Danae and Sage











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