Tribal officials hobnob with Arizona Legislature

By Stan Bindell
For the Independent

PHOENIX — Cooperation toward managing growth was one of the key issues that tribal leaders brought to the 13th annual Indian Nations and Tribes Legislative Day, Jan. 22 at the Arizona State Capitol. About 800 tribal and state leaders and dignitaries attended the event to discuss mutual issues.

Both the Hopi and Navajo Nations were well represented. Navajo Nation Speaker Lawrence Morgan and several Navajo Nation Council delegates attended. Hopi Chairman Ben Nuvamsa gave the opening prayer, Vice Chairman Todd Honyaoma Sr. and several Hopi councilmen attended.

Miss Indian Northern Arizona University Marissa Navakuku led the pledge of allegiance, and Miss Indian Arizona State University Talia Tsosie sang the national anthem. Navakuku is Hopi and Tsosie is Navajo. Eighteen students from Hopi Jr/Sr High School, and students from some of the Hopi elementary schools also attended, so they could see their government officials in action.

Tribal visitors welcomed
Arizona House Speaker James Weiers, Senate President Timothy Bee and Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs Executive Director Ken Poocha welcomed the tribal visitors to the state capitol.

Poocha, who is Hopi, specifically welcomed the youth, telling them it is important to be involved in the process and share important issues with the community.

Timothy Williams, chairman of the Fort Mohave Tribe, told the state legislators that tribal leaders are equally concerned about the state’s deficit. Arizona currently faces an $800 million deficit mainly because problems with a slowdown in home sales and housing construction.

Williams said he understands that some programs will have to be cut, but hopes that the most vulnerable people will not bear the brunt of those cutbacks. He urged the state to use funds from the rainy day fund and use bonding to offset the deficit.

“The decisions should be inclusive and we hope you reach out to us,” he said.

Williams noted that tribes have jurisdiction over 28 percent of the land base in Arizona. He added that Arizona’s tribes have a diversity of businesses including gaming, tourism, agriculture and construction.

But he is concerned that the state’s dramatic growth if continued unchecked could impact the water supply both on and off the reservations.

“We expect to live here for the centuries to come so we need to protect our water for the fish and wildlife, farming and human use,” he said.

‘People Along The River’
Williams said the Fort Mohave Tribe is known as the “People Along the River” and take the responsibility of protecting the water to heart. Thus, he said when the state decides water issues that impact tribes that he hopes they will include the tribes in the decision making.

“We want Arizona to thrive, but not at the expense of water,” he said.

Williams said growth should occur with inclusiveness and reason.

“We need to protect our resources for future generations. This will be the goal that will bond us together,” he said.
Williams served in the Marines with many non-natives.

“If we can work together in war, we can work together as tribes and the state,” he said.

Delia Carlyle, chairwoman of the Ak Chin Indian Community, said that her tribe is historically — and continues to be— a farming tribe, but she added they have started to use gaming as a tool to meet the basic needs of their people.

“But we still have poverty. It is a misconception that gaming tribes are wealthy,” she said. “It is true that all tribes are rich in culture and pride in who we are, but who we are is often challenged.”

Booming population
Carlyle said the booming population has brought neighbors right up to their boundary. She said the neighboring community of Maricopa used to have 1,500 residents, but now has 130,000. She added that many of the new-comers do not know about them and that developers want to reduce the amount of agricultural land.

Carlyle said developers are not the only ones disrespecting them, as ATV riders have been cutting their fences and using their land — including burial sites — for recreation.

She said the tribes have to fight local, state and federal governments for cooperation.

“Too often decisions are made without collaborating with the tribes,” she said. “Proper planning would help with growth issues. Growth issues are not easy to solve, but a sure fire way to fail is not to have everybody at the table.”

Carlyle said everybody should be included in the discussion before decisions are made.

“Not just those with money or those who speak the loudest,” she said.

Zuni Gov. Norman Cooeyate spoke about the three types of sovereignty: He said the first derives from the federal government, the second is the states which defer to the federal government and the third is tribal sovereignty which predates the federal government and derives from the people itself.

Sovereignty
Cooeyate said there is no clear definition of sovereignty, but that in order to be sovereign there must be a distinct group of people with a language; it must include a geographic area; and it must be enforced by some authority.

He said the Zuni Pueblo would not have successes without its identity, language and culture.

“Each time a language is lost we lose an exquisite way of being,” he said. “Culture is the highest expression of what it means to be human.

Cooeyate said while his tribe is not involved in the San Francisco Peaks case, they support the tribes in the case.

“We must protect our religious rights against development,” he said. “It’s as important to us as any church to mainstream religions.”

Cooeyate said Zuni has an eagle aviary that is a model for other programs. He said the eagle holds cultural importance to their religious practices and if an eagle is injured that they have the solemn obligation to watch and take care of that eagle for the rest of its life. He praised Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano for her commitment to protecting eagles.

Cooeyate said he applauds the people who had the vision to create Indian Nations and Tribes Legislative Day as an annual event.

“It forms friendship and respect,” he said. “When we understand and respect each other we see our goals as similar.”