A curfew for minors living within the Gila River Indian Community — just south of Phoenix — was supposed to expire by the end of December, but it will continue through the new year in an ongoing effort to stymie violent crime throughout the nearly 600-square-mile reservation.
This marks the fifth time Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis has extended the curfew since first imposing it in February.
Now it’s set to end this March.
Back in July, during a six-hour town hall, Lewis acknowledged the limits of simply amending his executive order: “If we want to do anything permanent, of course, this would come from the council, which is the lawmaking body.”
Leaders have been weighing whether to draft an ordinance that could banish tribal members who are convicted of violent crimes. Meanwhile, the Valley tribe also recently announced the return of its annual rodeo and fair.
It’s called Mul-Chu-Tha, a tradition that was cancelled last March due to safety concerns that prompted the soon-to-be yearlong curfew in the first place. When KJZZ asked how it may affect this year’s gathering, Lewis declined to say.
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Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren made his third annual state address in Shiprock on Tuesday, outlining his administration’s accomplishments amid ongoing efforts to remove him from office before his term expires this year. -
Environmental groups are sounding the alarm on various issues going into this year’s legislative session, and holding out hope for one area of potential bipartisanship. -
Tribes are still figuring out how to start and finish renewable energy projects amid the Trump administration freezing or eliminating federal dollars from the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act, which directed more than $720 million to Indian Country. -
As currently written, the proposed EPA rule would narrow the 1972 landmark law’s enforcement with estimates suggesting that 80% of the nation’s wetlands could be at risk. -
During this week’s annual conference of water users in Las Vegas, a pair of Arizona tribes inked a new proclamation in hopes of setting an example for how other Basin states could operate when it comes to conserving the Colorado River.
