The following is an original production of AZPM News.

(Tom) This week on Arizona Illustrated, learn what these mysterious markings from the past can still teach us.

(Allen) They really tamed the desert while they were here.

And I think most people today, you know, would not be able to do that with all the amenities that we have.

(Tom) Meet the University of Arizona basketball team trying to defend their national title.

(Ben) We are all very competitive individuals.

Just having each other's back is essential and that will show itself in game.

(Tom) Experience the growing trend of ASMR.

(Julieta) ASMR is a very accessible way for people to find ways to relax.

(Tom) And see why this desert tree might make the perfect addition to your yard.

(Alex) This is a really great option.

It doesn't use too much water.

It grows really fast.

It has a almost immediate impact.

Hello and welcome to Arizona Illustrated.

I'm Tom McNamara.

You know, long before Tucson became a city, people were living and farming in the Sonoran Desert.

And some of what they left behind is still hiding in plain sight, etched into rocks throughout these Tucson Mountains.

♪ SOFT GUITAR ♪ (Allen) There's two pretty good concentrations on the west side of the Tucson Mountains, both in Saguaro National Park.

One of them is right next to the Signal Hill picnic area.

The other one that's really accessible is the King Canyon area, just directly east of the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.

♪ CLASSICAL STRINGS ♪ You're looking at rock images that people have created by pecking designs into the rock.

We believe that most of these, what we call representational petroglyphs, people and animal glyphs, date to the period, probably starting around 800, ending maybe between 1050 and 1100.

♪ SOFT PIANO ♪ (Samuel) Tohono O'odham people, we are one of the few tribes that have lived and stayed on our main reservation for centuries.

(Allen) O'odham people, most of them consider people who lived during that Hohokam era to be their ancestors.

(Samuel) Some people will use Hohokam, some will say Huhugam, "the ones that've already gone."

(Allen) So the way archaeologists use the term Hohokam is different from how O'odham use the term, and these petroglyphs are a part of how we recognize the Hohokam archaeological culture.

♪ FLUTE ♪ Most of the rocks that people chose for petroglyphs in the Hohokam culture are on dark surface volcanic rocks where if you peck through that outer desert varnish, you know, that dark layer, it'll expose a lighter color of the rock underneath.

So you get a pretty high contrast design.

One of the characteristics of these Hohokam petroglyphs is that they almost always have very fuzzy edges where you can see the rocks have hit it in individual strokes.

It's what we call direct percussion where they'll take a stone and just peck the rock panel to create a design, you know, so they're not ground into the rock, they're not incised into the rock, they are clearly pecked into the rock.

And it'll And it'll take it, you know, probably thousands of years to get back to the original color of the rock, so they do last a long time.

(Samuel) Well, it starts from generation to generation, we still remember those things.

Yeah, so probably all of these petroglyph motifs have some really deep meaning.

(Samuel) Some will say it represents the water, some will make or are used to mark trails that they go to when they travel out in the desert.

If you saw like a seashell, it marked the path going from the main reservation up to the Gulf of California, to the ocean.

So that's what they followed when they started going on the trail.

♪ SOFT PIANO ♪ (Allen) We're actually in an unincorporated Pima County, kind of between Tucson and Marana, Arizona, on a private property of the Redemptorist Renewal Center, which is a Catholic retreat run by the Redemptorist Society.

And they welcome people to come out here and view the petroglyphs.

They've been extremely good caretakers of this site since they acquired the property in the 1960s.

I started doing independent research out here in 2006 with permission from the property owners here.

Since then, I've, you know, brought a lot of tours out here.

My son and I took a series of time-lapse photographs showing that this, what we call a sun dagger, forms on this spiral on each summer solstice morning.

So you can actually use that So you can actually use that during parts of the years to identify close to the individual day.

That to me, as an archaeologist and anthropologist, tells me that these were pretty sophisticated people.

They knew when the solstices occurred, they knew when the equinoxes occurred, and they could create calendars to mark those.

(Samuel) They know what they were doing, you know.

They were smart, you know.

They weren't just like out here in the desert not knowing anything, you know.

We're in touch with everything, you know.

Because everything ties them together.

The seasons of the year, the plants and animals that roam the desert, the people that live in the area, we rely on those things so we know this is time for planting season.

This is time to go collect some of the fruits in the desert.

(Allen) They really tamed the desert while they were here, and I think most people today, you know, would not be able to do that with all the amenities that we have today in our own culture, you know.

So I have a lot of respect for these ancient people.

Some of the, what we call the anthropomorphic designs, the human-shaped designs, they very commonly have arms up raised as if they're praying.

We call them anthropomorphs because we don't really know if they're depicting individual people or perhaps deities that these people, you know, had respect for.

So there's probably a lot of deep religious meaning in all of these petroglyphs that you see here in Southern Arizona.

They're not just random graffiti, they're not just doodling.

(Samuel) To me, it is reconnecting with my ancestors, you know, and to have respect for them because, you know, this is what they left for us.

If you go out there and you see these sites, you know, enjoy them, you know, take photographs of them.

That way we know this is our past, you know, and those are sacred sites that need to not be disturbed.

(Allen) I think it's important to protect them as a legacy of the cultures who've been here in Arizona.

These are really the most visible features we have of the people who were here.

(Samuel) It gives us a sense of our identity, reinforces that we've lived here for centuries, and it will continue with the future generation.

The University of Arizona men's wheelchair basketball team came into the 2026 season as national champions, and of course they were eager to repeat.

You see, for this dedicated group of young men, basketball's more than just a game.

It's a way of life.

♪ MOODY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC ♪ (Jose) You see us in the street feeling bad for us or saying, "Oh, good for them that they came out in the real world to buy their groceries and stuff."

But if you come and experience basketball, you see us in our element where we feel confident.

♪ MOODY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC ♪ We're very adaptable people and we obviously don't take no as answers.

(Ben) Growing up, you don't wanna be that shy kid.

You wanna be someone who is a go-getter, someone who wants to make a difference.

[ PLAYERS SHOUTING ] We all have the same goals at the end of the day.

We all came here to win.

[ CHEERING ] ♪ MOODY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC ♪ Let's go back right here, okay?

With Broden out, everybody go back to where you were.

I don't think this team viewed themselves as defending champions from last year's team just because we had six guys leave from that team.

We had a lot of freshmen playing bigger roles, so I want those guys to get their own moment.

[ PLAYERS SHOUTING ] (Ben) I'm 100% confident.

I know what we're capable of.

We are aware that all these teams are gonna be coming for us with all they got.

But guess what?

We're gonna be coming right back.

My name is Ben Thornton.

I am a grad student here at the University of Arizona.

I've been on the University of Arizona men's wheelchair basketball team for six years now, and it has been the time of my life.

(Mike) For a lot of them, it's a pinnacle of their athletic career.

So it means a lot to them.

Some of them, it's the first time that they're playing on a stage where they get recognition.

It's the first time that they're getting accountability and they get to showcase their skills for a university like ours.

That goes a long way in an individual's life.

I first heard about adaptive sports when I was six.

I like playing sports at recess and stuff like that, but I wasn't so sure about wheelchair athletics.

And it wasn't until age 11 when myself and my parents all agreed to drive me to try wheelchair basketball.

And the rest is history.

Possibilities and opportunities that it gives disabled people to just get out of their bedroom or just to have the confidence to say, "I can do something," it's life changing.

I was first injured when I was very young.

And looking around the school, kind of wondering why I was different than everyone else, kind of got to me.

But once I found my community in wheelchair basketball, kind of all went away.

Big thing that wooed me when I was young was watching a guy shoot three pointers that had no hands.

You can find someone or something that you relate to and it can change your life and your life perspective of how you approach your own life.

Being able to insert myself in a wheelchair basketball team and meet people who were just like me was super cool.

I knew it was my space.

[ BASKETBALLS DRIBBLING ] I recruited him in 2019 he was part of my first class.

Great with the team as far as communicating and bringing some lower level guys up, willing to work with people.

And he's just a great kid all around.

Come on Carter, let's go.

I'm very honored to be captain this year, hoping that I can lead us to the glory land.

[ CHEERING ] [ BASKETBALL BUZZER ] [ CHEERING ] My name is Dylan Zander.

I'm from Macomb, Michigan and I'm a senior this year.

Before I came here, I was working in a machine shop, doing stuff for like aerospace tooling, working 80 hours a week.

And my parents gave me that opportunity to get away from that, cause they didn't wanna see me doing that for the rest of my life.

With the championships coming up with this team, I'm super proud of how far we've come, especially with the group of guys that we have.

I wanna win really bad with this group of guys.

[ CHEERING ] When I first came here to the University of Arizona, I was like a walk on.

(Jose) I have a special bond with Dylan.

He was not the greatest at passing or shooting or anything really.

He didn't have a chair that fit him right.

We just slowly put him together, try to figure out what type of basketball player he wanted to become.

And he had that backbone, that tenacity I was talking about, that mindset.

[ APPLAUSE ] I was the 15th guy on the bench, and then I just kept on stacking days, like keep training and training and training.

Now I'm also one of the captains on the team.

(Mike) His captainship is just from his work ethic.

I mean, that guy outworks everybody.

He's here four hours a day on top of practice and very intense, or goal driven.

And so he's kind of our little tougher captain and Ben's our nicer one.

But they both do the same duties in a different light.

[ APPLAUSE ] Some of my teammates, they say that I'm like red hot dill or like fiery dill.

If you're just seeing the dude on the court, that's all a completely different guy off the court.

There definitely is a switch with day to day Dylan outside of basketball.

And then there's the athlete side of Dylan.

Half of basketball is a mind game, right?

And so we might not be able to dunk or do all those crazy things, but a way to try to beat your opponent, I believe, is always through the mind.

As disabled people, we kind of go through that in our day to day life, like with little comments here, things that make you uncomfortable there.

And so it just elevates the competition, and it should elevate yourself.

We are all very competitive individuals.

So just having each other's back is essential, and that will show itself in game.

Your hard work's either going to pay off all 100% right now, or if we fall short, you still become a better player at the end of the day.

[ APPLAUSE ] (Announcer) Final Score SMSU 66 Arizona 57 (Dylan) So it's not really a stressor for me.

It's more like, I like these moments.

This is why we trained all year.

[ APPLAUSE ] As long as we play our game and we stick to our game plan, I think that we could come out dominant, and we will come out dominant.

[ APPLAUSE ] ♪ SOMBER INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC ♪ OK, let's have fun.

Let's put it out there.

This is it.

And it was a beautiful season.

Let's put a cherry on top of it, all right?

[ CLAPPING ] Let's go.

One, two, three.

One, two, three.

[ ALL ] Wildcats!

♪ UPBEAT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC ♪ [ APPLAUSE ] [ CHANTING ] (Ben) I know when I see my family in the stands, I'm going to push my hardest, give it my all for them.

♪ UPBEAT INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC ♪ Even if we're down by 10, or if we're up by 10, we still got to play with the same intensity, still stick to the game plan.

The next game is not a guarantee.

So why not go 100% for this last game, no matter what?

[ CHEERING ] [ CHANTING ] [ BASKETBALL BUZZER ] Unfortunately, we finished fifth and didn't get the opportunity to repeat, but I think we laid the groundwork for good things in the future.

I'd say the biggest thing that I'm probably most proud of is getting this program kind of to where it is.

Had a couple Paralympians throughout the years, some All-Americans, team GPAs at 3.4.

So there's a lot of wins outside of the court.

Hopefully, we can push other universities to give the same opportunities not just for basketball, but for different sports, because everybody should be able to have their own passion.

[ APPLAUSE ] That's what makes Arizona special.

We take everyone into consideration.

This sport is more than just a sport.

It helps people grow.

It helps people get confidence.

I think a lot of people, if you give it a chance to either play it or watch it, it can change your life too.

Hey, way to step up.

I'm proud of every single one of you.

It was a tough year, but a way to finish strong.

That's what we needed.

Something special we got going on here.

One, two, three One, two, three.

[ ALL ] Wildcats!

Good job.

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, or ASMR.

It's that tingling feeling you get, that sensation when you listen to certain sounds, and it can be used as mental stimulus to promote relaxation, focus, even sleep.

So let's learn more about this and experience this trend with ASMRtist, Julietta.

[ PLASTIC CLICKING ] [ WHISPER ] My name is Julieta ASMR, and today I'm gonna be doing some tests to see if you might have ADHD, okay?

I have ADHD myself and it is very difficult to focus, focus, focus sometimes.

When I was a little girl, and my mom used to sing me a lullaby every night, and that was the first time that I felt like so relaxed that I would just fall asleep.

[ PLASTIC CLICKING ] Anything related to optometry, to me, always gave me like the biggest ASMR feeling and relaxed and getting like the, which one is better?

One or two, one or two.

Now read the letter, you know?

I would always tell doctors like, "I'm falling asleep."

[ BRUSHING NOISE ] ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, which is just a fancy way to say that feeling you get, like you're getting a scalp massage and you feel it all around like ants going on your head.

That is ASMR, is a little tingly, tingly feeling.

A lot of people experience it, they don't know what it is.

-[ WHISPER ] Sometimes it can make you sleepy, sleepy, sleepy.

Because when you have ADHD, you have so much in your mind all the time.

And sometimes focusing on one little thing can do wonders for a busy mind.

(Julieta) The ASMR that I make and the one that I made today is made for people who are neurodivergent.

I have ADHD and other ones.

And I think that the type of ADHD doctor video that I do helps people to really be in the moment and focused and get your attention and calm your mind and just get kind of like tunnel vision with everything going on.

-[ WHISPER ] How many times do I move this swivel?

Okay, let's count.

One, two, three.

So now you're gonna count on your own, okay?

[ NAILS CLICK ] Yeah, that's what five?

Three.

[ NAILS CLICKING ] (Julieta) Some of my most popular videos are the ADHD doctor videos.

So that's the one that I decided to do today.

But I do many, many other characters that are pretty bad.

I do a rat character.

-And I have one of my favorite things here.

It is cheese.

(O.S.)

I do a abuelita character for my Spanish speakers.

(Julieta) ASMR is a very accessible way for people to find ways to relax and feel safe and feel connected and find sleep aids in a way that it doesn't involve medication.

It doesn't involve doctors.

You don't have to have health insurance to look at ASMR.

All you need is your phone.

I think for a lot of people who are struggling right now, either financially or with mental health, ASMR is a easy way to find exactly what you're looking for.

There's a world of videos that can help people relax and fall asleep that are free.

So, well, with the occasional ad, but don't worry about that.

Just ignore those.

-Do you see this puff over here?

Okay, good.

I'm gonna need you to follow it side to side.

(O.S.)

I've been doing ASMR for seven years now, professionally.

-Is the brown one close or far?

Okay, good.

Is the brown one close or far?

(Julieta) I've always been an ASMR consumer.

So when I started watching ASMR every night, I noticed that there were not a lot of out LGBTQIA ASMRtists and I'm part of the community.

So I was like, maybe there is a space for me to do very intentional LGBTQIA ASMR videos.

-Hope you've been enjoying Gay-SMR week so far.

Today, I thought I would make it a little bit, a little bit more serious and share with you a little bit of my coming out story.

I'm here for you and that you are valid the way you are.

[ MUFFLED PLASTIC CLICKING ] ASMR doesn't have an age.

Like I'm in my 40s and I make ASMR.

I can be making content for my 18 to 24 demographic but there are viewers of mine, that are in their 70s, in their 80s.

-[ WHISPER ] Here is a bright light and I'm gonna need you to follow it from left to right.

(Julieta) There's no orientation or ability level.

You're welcome in the ASMR community.

You just have to find your person.

I'm one of thousands and there's, you know, everything and anything you can think about.

-[ WHISPER ] Now ignore the light and just look at my nose.

(Julieta) Love seeing that, love seeing how the community has grown and evolved and now it looks very different.

- [ WHISPER ] I appreciate your time.

Thank you so much for listening to me and hopefully you've enjoyed these little noises.

[ PLASTIC CLICKING ] As you'll see all around here the Sonoran Desert is home to an iconic variety of plants including the saguaro cactuses, the ocotillos and creosotes but there are many other drought tolerant plants that would be perfect for your backyard palette and they're good for pollinating insects and other wildlife.

My name is Alex Arnold.

I'm a horticulturalist here at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.

And I'm standing right now in our desert garden which is a landscape garden here on grounds.

Behind me I have a beautiful Tenaza Tree, also called by its Latin name, Avardia palens.

This tree is native from southern Texas all the way down through eastern Mexico, therefore making it an arid tropical.

Despite not being native to the Sonoran Desert, it is really well suited for landscaping purposes here.

It is a fast-growing, very hardy, both in terms of cold and heat plant that smells fantastic when in bloom.

As you can see behind me, it's swarming with different kinds of bees and insects.

It provides a lot of flowers for pollinators, and on top of that is ideal for patios, sideyards, anywhere where you have a narrow space and you need shade and something with upright growth.

It's almost columnar in its upright growth habit, and it can get up to 30 feet tall in really ideal conditions.

Usually it's going to max out around 20 feet tall, 15 feet wide.

It does have thorns.

The name "Tenaza" actually comes from the thorns.

Tenaza means pliers in Spanish, and the thorns are paired thorns.

However, the thorns are mostly just present on the younger plants.

As it matures, the thorns effectively disappear.

It is something that you will see in some of our native landscape nurseries.

It's not super common.

You can go see some really beautiful examples of it at the U of A campus.

There are several growing there in different aspects and exposures which sort of give a good example of its versatility.

It's in the same family as most of our desert trees, Mesquites, Palo Verdes, Ironwoods, Acacias, etc.

The Fabaceae family, so it's a legume.

It has a seed pod and a similar type of flower to a Mesquite.

Only this one is a round puffball shape in this case.

It also has similar leaves, biponately compound leaves.

Like many of our trees, adapted to a hot environment.

This is a really great option.

It doesn't use too much water.

It grows really fast.

It has an almost immediate impact.

It provides shade, it provides habitat.

All with relatively little effort.

So it is a really useful plant for an urban environment.

♪ TWANGY MUSIC ♪ Thank you for joining us here on Arizona Illustrated.

I'm Tom McNamara and we'll see you again next week.