Earth Day | Rooted in Story: An Afternoon of Indigenous Storytelling

This Earth Day, we invite you to hear from our honored guests who will share stories that aim to connect and remind us of our responsibility as stewards of this beautiful land we call home. Bring your lunch and share space as Marilyn Torres (Taino Native/Spanish/Yoruba West African) and Martha Martinez (On’k Akimel O’odham) orate stories from their community that inspire meaningful reflection and action. About Our Guests Marilyn Torres (Taino Native/Spanish/Yoruba West African) Marilyn Torres is Residential Faculty for the Storytelling Institute at South Mountain Community College, one of the ten colleges in the Maricopa Community Colleges system in the State of Arizona. Professor Torres is an ordained West African traditional storyteller of over 43 years. In 1984, she received two chieftaincies in the Ogun State of the country of Nigeria, West Africa as a descendant of the “children of slavery from the island of Puerto Rico.” Martha Martinez (On’k Akimel O’odham) Martha Ludlow Martinez is On’k Akimel O’odham from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Currently she works as the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Coordination for her community’s Tribal Historic Preservation Office. Her responsibilities there are to preserving, protecting, and perpetuating the traditions of her people.