Traveling from California to New Mexico, through Arizona to Texas we quickly became aware of the drier climate and increasingly greasier cuisine. With a van full of misfits ranging from 3 to 35 years old, including a pair of teen beats, we headed to Austin, the home of SXSW (South by South West), a 2 week long festival that showcases innovations in music, film, and technology. From March 16-20 we joined the Austin community in celebrating their 25th year of welcoming independent artists and other creative folks from around the world, attracting thousands of conference attendees and bringing millions in revenue to the city.

Armed with two press passes, 10 crew members, one case of Guayaki Mate and an IPhone we headed through the desert to find out what was happening in the South West, On Native Ground. Once we hit the desert and the poisnous snakes signs appeared, we knew we weren’t in Cali anymore. One of our first stops was on Apache land (Arizona) where according to state historical signs, Geronimo and Cochise both fought to preserve their culture against an “influx of Anglo-American settlers”. Apparently, illegal immigration has been a problem in Arizona for a long time.

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