Hundreds of tribal leaders and community members from across Arizona visited the state Capitol Wednesday for the annual Indian Nations and Tribes Legislative Day.
This gathering, organized by the Governor’s Office on Tribal Relations, among the state’s 22 federally recognized tribes has been a tradition since 1995. Since then, the Grand Canyon State and its tribal neighbors have worked to strengthen their ties.
Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation President Andrea Pattea, Chairwoman Amelia Flores of the Colorado River Indian Tribes and Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis of the Gila River Indian Community were invited by Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Steve Montenegro to speak from the state Senate floor.
Lewis reflected on the three-decade milestone by looking ahead to the next generation.
“With all of our Native youth here, maybe someone in this hallowed chamber will be the first, the first tribal member to be governor,” said Lewis. “This is a future we can all strive for.”
Top legislative priorities voiced by tribes include addressing sober living home abuses, tackling the missing and murdered Indigenous peoples problem and conserving the Colorado River.
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Some traditional Indigenous stories can only be uttered during the wintertime. A member of the Gila River Indian Community has been workshopping a new collaboration with the Great Arizona Puppet Theater that’ll bring old creation tales to life on Saturday.
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A lawsuit has prevented some Arizona ranchers from using wells due to water rights claimed by the Gila River Indian Community.
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The Navajo Nation government recently came to an agreement with mining company Energy Fuels on the transport of uranium from a mine south of the Grand Canyon.
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A temporary exhibit featuring a little-known 1940s American art movement is nearing the end of its run at the Heard Museum in Phoenix. The show highlights the interconnection of Native and non-Native artists as they separately looked to redefine American and Native art.
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After the recent federal funding freeze, a coalition of tribal organizations is calling for confirmation that recent executive orders won’t harm programs and services their communities rely on.