Mike in the Wild

There is no shortage of natural history in Arizona, especially with its diverse population of birds and landscapes.  However the state's cultural history is just as rich, especially in the south, where native peoples have thrived for many centuries along river ways.  And also where, starting in the 1600's, Spanish missionaries attempted to convert them to the Catholic faith. The Jesuit Father Eusebio Kino is known for founding a string of missions in Pimeria Alta, which is now modern day Sonora, Mexico and the southern part of Arizona.   The most striking and famous site in the United States is San Xavier del Bac, located just south of Tucson.  The gleaming church that replaced an original building in 1785 still stands, and is called 'the white dove of the desert' because of its fresh coats of brilliant lime plaster. Forty miles south lies another mission, San Jose de Tumacacori.  It sits on the west side of the Santa Cruz River, an area occupied by Pima Ind...