'I-Wa:pk - Welcome

Turning a Vision into a Mission

Creating Cultural Awareness Through Smoothies

About Doa Smoothie

Doa Smoothie is an Indigenous-owned Smoothie Company envisioned by community members of the Tohono O'odham Nation in Arizona. Through grown passions for the delectable taste of smoothies, one community member learned about original foods grown by his ancestors, implemented some of those ingredients into a homemade smoothie, and the rest is history.

Why “Doa”? What does it mean?

Doa, pronounced thwah, is an O’odham word that can mean “to get well, better, to recover” or “to be healthy”.

The reason for the existence of this business pertains to the long-lasting effect of colonization and its impact towards the health of the O’odham and all Indigenous communities. Because smoothies can benefit our health in a simple, tasty, and satisfying way, the word “doa” leads this brand as its definition aligns with our goal (see next section below).

Our Opportunity

The Essence

At Doa Smoothie, our smoothies provide more than just wholesome, delectable flavors. Our use of traditional O’odham foods provides opportunities to connect with ancestral practices while also advancing through modern technologies. Our purpose is to recover, restore, and rejuvenate our ancient Indigenous ways of life (our Himdag). We believe in self-development, learning and growth opportunities, connection and reconnection, and locality.

A Food Justice Lesson from Native Americans

Problem Worth Solving

Colonization has long disconnected Indigenous people from their traditional food sources and has heavily influenced their contemporary diet. As a result, four sibling tribes in Arizona (Tohono O'odham Nation, Ak-Chin Indian Community, Gila River Indian Community, and Salt River-Pima Maricopa Indian Community) are known to have high rates of diabetes.

Our Solution

Doa Smoothies believes implementing traditional ingredients, like prickly pear, into their blends will help bring awareness to and inform customers about the local Indigenous vegetation that we use while also contributing to better health. With insight on these ingredients, customers can learn about the O'odham communities and where our business goals originated from.

TRADITIONAL INGREDIENT GALLERY