GREAT BEND OF THE GILA

Great Bend of the Gila, located between the cities of Phoenix and Yuma in Arizona, is a river valley and desert landscape with critical importance to Indigenous communities, local recreation economies, and wildlife habitat conservation. As a source of reliable water and fertile soils, the region contains unique archaeological and historical sites with ties to at least 13 Indigenous tribes, as well as Spanish, Mexican, and colonial American history. 

This short film from Archaeology Southwest and Respect Great Bend illustrates the unique features and importance of protecting Great Bend of the Gila in the Sonoran Desert and features Pee-Posh (Piipaash) elder Arnie Bread Sr. and his family, and archaeologists from Archaeology Southwest.