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.”
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State environmental regulators have given the owner of a uranium mine near the Grand Canyon the green light for higher levels of arsenic in groundwater under the facility. -
Colorado River Indian Tribes Chairwoman Amelia Flores met with leaders from around the world to discuss legal personhood for rivers. -
Across tribal communities in northeastern Arizona, 1 in 3 homes does not have running water. But now, there’s a way to help fix that. -
Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming are resisting the deal because it would allow the Navajo and Hopi to lease water to cities downstream, likely the growing towns around Phoenix. -
More than 56 million acres — nearly 3% of the U.S. landmass — belong to tribes. The Land and Water Conservation Fund has aided more than 47,000 projects, like parks and trails, in nearly every county nationwide.
