Danny Lopez, a teacher, singer and storyteller from the Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona, died on Tuesday. He was 71.

Lopez spent his adult life passing on tribal culture to younger generations. He taught the Tohono O'odham language, songs and dances to students and once walked 250 miles to advocate for traditional agriculture and diet.

"He felt it was one of the greatest things you can teach, that learning lasts through your life. It was his way of teaching. He didn't talk about the values . . . he lived them," Tristan Reader, the co-director of Tohono O'odham Community Action, told The Arizona Daily Star.

Lopez held a master's degree in linguistics and continued to attend linguistics up until his death from stomach cancer. "He cared so deeply about his culture and its traditions," said author Gary Paul Nabhan.

Get the Story:
Danny's gone, but he helped his O'odham culture live on (The Arizona Daily Star 10/22)
pwday