The reason Elder Brother planned this was that some day in the future the earth was going to be burned up and the water in the sea dried up. And he also told that the rains would not come down all over the earth very often, only once in a while, and the crops that the people raised wouldn't be irrigated anymore by rain water.

- from the O'Odham origin myth

economic development

As a means of revitalizing the economies of the Sonoran Desert, ISDA promotes projects that lead to business creation and growth, especially within the expanding tourism and artisan industry sectors.  We believe arts, culture and tourism share a symbiotic relationship, each one contributing to and enhancing the others.

With our economic development initiatives we seek to increase income opportunities for residents of our region, especially individuals with low or moderate incomes. Our focus is to provide affordable housing, education and skills development to expand the artisan business and tourism sectors on the economy.