Additional information
by Husi Cázares (Author), Kerrie Ann Cázares (Author)
This lyrical and joyously illustrated bilingual book celebrates waila (why-la) dance music, a blend of Polish, German, Mexican dance music unique to the Tohono O'odham Nation in southern Arizona. As explained by protagonist Philip Joe, "waila music really gets you moving." He learned as a child to play the multiple instruments that blend to create the fast moving, upbeat rhythms that are a part of every community piast (celebration) and continues to play in bands and teach young tribal members the exciting form of music.
The book, third in a series on the tribe, shares and reaffirms the language and culture of the Tohono O'odham, a people who have lived in this southwestern desert for over 10,000 years. A QR code in the Let's Speak O'odham section at the front of the book takes the reader to a website to hear and learn to speak words from the story as well as listen to waila music by Philip Joe.
Author Biography
Husi Cázares is an enrolled member of the Tohono O'odham Nation in southern Arizona where he grew up. Much of his youth was spent living between the small villages of Kupk (Water Dike) and Pisin Mo'o (Buffalo Head), a larger village with 340 residents. Husi has taught Tohono O'odham culture, history and language as well as courses in Native American history and culture at several Colleges and Universities. He holds a M.A. in Native American Studies from the University of Arizona and a M.S. in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Saint Xavier University in Chicago, Illinois. Currently, Husi works as a tri-lingual speech language pathologist in southern Arizona. His passion for sharing and preserving the O'odham language and culture has kept him actively working with his tribe to encourage language preservation and literacy. He is continuing to write bilingual Tohono O'odham books for children.
Kerrie Ann Cázares grew up in Orland Park, Illinois. She received her Bachelors degree in sociology at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, Illinois. Kerrie Ann writes and illustrates books, language coloring books, and language materials for learning the O'odham language with her husband Husi Cázares. Kerrie Ann and her husband live in Marana, Arizona, nice and close to many of their children and their three granddaughters. She likes to sew, paint and create digital art.
