Tonatierra Community Development Institute

Tonatierra grew out of the work during the late 1970s and mid-1980s with the Maricopa County Organizing Project and the United Farm Workers. The Maricopa County Organizing Project was officially founded in 1977 with the goal of protecting the rights of farmworkers, and moved to Phoenix in 1992. In 2010, Tonatierra was involved in the ACLU federal lawsuit regarding the case titled "Indigenous Peoples as Migrant Workers". ==Community action and projects==

Those involved with Tonatierra's work and community efforts focus on the process of decolonization that aligns with the community's specific cultural rights and cultural identity. Since the organization's formation nearly two decades ago, Tonatierra have created several projects, such as youth education/empowerment programs, cultural expression efforts and events, and social justice movements. For example, their project "Tititl" is a yearly event held on ceremonial grounds and is directed towards the children of local Indigenous families. Children spend the day participating in various traditional activities that create a unique learning experience for them. ==Goals==

Since the beginning of Tonatierra, their main goals have been to provide access to cultural education and experiences of cultural awareness for indigenous communities in and around Phoenix. Past and future efforts within the Tonatierra organization aim to act in accordance to these goals and their core value of truth. == References ==