UPDATE: A youth curfew spanning two months across the Gila River Indian Community in an effort to reduce rising violence will continue through the summer.
Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis decided to extend the February curfew a second time after first doing so in March. It was supposed to end on May 1, but now the curfew will remain until June 30.
This sudden spike in violence came to a head last month when hundreds marched through the streets of the tribal capital, Sacaton, after Gila River elder Karen Peter was sexually assaulted and fatally beaten. Two juveniles and an adult were arrested — all of whom are fellow tribal members.
Almost a year ago, Gila River Deputy Joshua Briese and 23-year-old Alicen Apkaw were also killed in another high-profile incident during a disturbance call on the reservation in Santan last June.
“What’s happened since then? They canceled the dances, OK. Then nothing for a while until it got bad again,” said Letha Lamb during the April protest. “We’ve all been going through a lot of turmoil, been dealing with a lot of the violence. I’m very blessed to have not had it hit home yet. And I say yet because I know it can happen to any of us.”
“We have no choice. ... 24/7, we’re here, and some of the people that work for us are only here 8 to 5 and that’s all their commitment is,” added Lynelle Blackwater with the Akimel O’odham Crime Victims and Family Support Group. “So when they leave, they’re not concerned about who's running around after the curfew hours. We are, we have to hear the gunshots. We have to hear the sirens late at night.”
-
The Interior Department released hundreds of documents Monday from a two-week review in February. The records contain action plans for national monuments and mineral withdrawals across the U.S. to accelerate President Trump’s American energy agenda. -
Two days after a Phoenix hearing to consider the request, an Arizona federal judge granted a temporary injunction Friday to delay the land transfer of Oak Flat between the U.S. Forest Service and multinational mining company Resolution Copper. -
After California, Washington, Colorado and New Mexico, Arizona would become the fifth in the nation to implement an Indigenous alert system at the state level, if signed into law. -
Resolution Copper could get Oak Flat as early as June 16, but the Becket Fund remains hopeful that the U.S. Supreme Court will weigh in on Apache Stronghold’s petition in July before its session ends. Until then, the Arizona district judge is supposed to make an injunction decision by no later than Wednesday, May 14. -
Members of the nonprofit Apache Stronghold began running over the weekend from Oak Flat to the Sandra Day O’Connor Courthouse in Phoenix ahead of a Wednesday hearing — where a judge will consider delaying a land swap — and a surprise guest met with the group at a stop in the Valley.
