MARCH 2013 vol. 16, no. 3 Council ...gilariver.org/GRIN/GRIN MARCH 2013.pdfHe and Dick Powell, a...

When the O’odham Tash cele-bration took a turn for the worst in 2010, the City of Casa Grande did what any cowboy that’d just been bucked would do — it picked it-self up and dusted itself off.

The city created Casa Grande Indian Days in 2011. It takes place on the same weekend in February as the O’odham Tash normally did and is tied to the Casa Grande Cowboy Days on the following weekend. Together they form the ten-day celebration of southwest-ern culture aptly dubbed Casa Grande Cowboy & Indian Days.

Ben Crow, the Pinal County Justice Court constable, was once the Chairman for O’odham Tash Rodeo in the 1980s. He mourned the recent loss of the rodeo but saw an opportunity to build again from the ground up. He and Dick Powell, a Casa Grande City coun-cilmember, co-chair and organize the all-new Casa Grande Indian Days All-Indian Rodeo, which took place the weekend of Feb. 15-17.

“The main thing to me is the In-dian Rodeo,” Crow said. He’s hop-ing to re-build the once-renowned all-Indian rodeo to its glory days when scores of O’odham and Pee-Posh cowboys would travel to the centralized location to meet and

compete.“The four tribes that we have

here, that’s the main thing I’m concerned about,” Crow said, in-dicating the sister tribes: Tohono O’odham Nation, Ak-Chin Indian Community, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the Gila River Indian Community.

The rodeo features a unique event that reflects its ethno-geographic surroundings called Quad-Nation Roping. This team roping event is exclusive to mem-bers of the four sister tribes. Said Crow, “I want the four tribes to be able to have someplace to have a rodeo — something like what they

After the Community Council Secretary reported to the Com-munity Council that the petition calling for a re-vote on the South Mountain Freeway had the re-quired number of signatures, many expected the initiative to be presented to the Council, then scheduled for a vote. Instead it landed on the desk of Acting Police Chief Edward Alameda amid accusations of deception.

The Gila River Indian Com-munity Council on Feb. 20 voted unanimously to postpone action on the Landowner Initiative un-til the Gila River Police Depart-ment investigates allegations of possible criminal conduct in

the signature-gathering process. The motion requires GRPD to report back to the Legislative Standing Committee its findings within 30 days.

“The Gila River Indian Com-munity Council [was] advised of some concerns regarding how the information [on the initia-tive] was being presented to [the Community]…” Alameda said. “Those concerns were severe enough to be investigated for possible criminal wrongdoing.”

Initiative opponents allege that the initiative language is de-ceptive, in part because it prom-ises each Community member $2,000 paid by the state of Ari-zona without any evidence that the state has agreed to these terms. Opponents also argue that

the landowner group, headed by Nathaniel Percharo and support-ed by Pangea Development Co., LLC, offered $50 each to Com-munity members in exchange

for signatures. Percharo strongly denied the accusations. While Pangea made $50 “good faith

MARCH 2013 www.gilARiveR.oRg/news vol. 16, no. 3

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IN the GRIN

Culture & History........Page 8

Health & Wellness.....Page 7Education.............6-17

Announcements &Notices.......................Page 21

Action Sheets......Page 18-21

Youth & Elder..............Page 9

Letters & Opinions.....Page 3GRIN Kids..................Page 11

By Joshua JovanellyGila River Indian News

Continued on Page 20

Continued on Page 4

“Serving al l seven dis tr ic ts of the

Gila River Indian Community”

B l a c k w a t e r - H a s h e n K e h k - G u U K i - S a n t a n - C a s a B l a n c a - K o m a t k e - M a r i c o p a C o l o n y

Gov. Gregory Mendoza high-lighted some of the accomplish-ments of his first year in office while calling for Community member self-reliance and support in his annual State of the Commu-nity Address.

"Though much has been ac-complished in 2012, much re-mains to be done in 2013 and beyond," Mendoza said. "And while the Administration and the Community Council, your gov-ernment, are committed to work-ing collaboratively and diligently to continue to make progress, we also need your support and assis-tance."

Speaking in front of a capacity audience at Council Chambers with Lt. Gov. Stephen R. Lewis sitting on his right, Mendoza talk-ed about "building and strength-ening bipartisan relationships with members of Congress and President Obama's Administra-tion," as well as with other fed-eral and state agencies. He em-phasized success in Community advancement, including 30 new homes provided to Community members and 26 more to be bid out.

Students from St. Peter Indian Mission School, urban members, elders and local government of-ficials joined other Community members in the audience.

Mendoza recognized the 41 graduates of the 2012 academic year, whose degrees ranged from vocational school up to the mas-ter's level. He trumpeted the suc-cessful work of the Employment and Training Department, which

In State of the Com-munity, Gov. Mendo-za says work remains

Council calls for probe of initiative

Joshua Jovanelly/GRIN

A possible extension of the Loop 202 freeway has ignited a divi-sive battle in GRIC between freeway supporters and detractors.


Gila River honors 68th anni-versary of Iwo Jima flag raising Mikhail Sundust/GRIN

The Hashan Kehk Traditional Dancers blessed the new Casa Grande rodeo pavilion, Feb. 16.

The crowd stood solemnly and turned toward the ring of flag-poles in the center of the Mathew B. Juan and Ira H. Hayes Veterans Memorial Park. The poles ap-peared empty until a single Amer-ican flag in the middle of the ring inched to the top, the Stars and Stripes flurrying in a February morning wind.

The act harkened back to anoth-er February flag raising, one that happened in a different part of the world, in a time long past but not forgotten. In 1945 on the peak of Mt. Suribachi, on a Japanese is-land called Iwo Jima, Ira H. Hayes and five other U.S. soldiers were

photographed staking the flag into the mountain. The iconic image, captured in just 1/400 of a second, came to embody the sacrifices of WWII and brought fame to Hayes and the other surviving soldiers.

Members of the Gila River In-dian Community and veterans groups from across the country honored Hayes and the Iwo Jima flag raising on Feb. 23, the 68th anniversary of that fateful day. Ira H. Hayes American Legion Post 84, Navajo code talkers, WWII veterans, Ira’s younger brother Kenneth and more joined in the two-hour parade that preceded east down Casa Blanca Road and finished at the park named for Hayes.


Continued on Page 9

O’odham Tash revitalized at CG Cowboy and Indian DaysBy Mikhail SundustGila River Indian News

Continued on Page 12

GRIC members seek jobs at soon-to-open mall.Page 6

Don’t miss Gila River’s 51st annual Mul-chu-tha Fair and Rodeo, March 15 to 17in Sacaton


Spectators at Mathew B. Juan and Ira H. Hayes Veterans Memorial Park commemorate Hayes’ famous climb up Mr. Suribachi in WWII.

Komatke Health Center17487 South Healthcare Drive

Laveen, Az 85339Phone: 520-550-6000Fax: 520-550-6033

Ak-Chin Health Clinic48203 West Farrell Road

Maricopa, AZ 85239 Phone: 520-568-3881

Fax: 520-568-3884

483 West Seed Farm RoadSacaton, AZ 85147

Phone: 520-562-3321Fax: 602-528-1240

Hu Hu Kam Memorial Hospital

Submitted by Ginger FliggerChief Financial Officer

These days, people of all ages are using the internet, cell phones, and other technologies to communicate to their family, friends, and businesses. We depend on being connected - connected to information, entertainment, and the important people in our lives. The Personal Patient Portal will be bringing this concept to your experience at Gila River Health Care (GRHC). This web-based online patient health record portal is nearing completion. The software is scheduled to be released to the GRHC community of patients in the spring of 2013. The Personal Patient Portal, the first application of its kind in Indian Country, is web-based and allows GRHC patients to access their own medical information from the convenience of their home or wherever they have access to a computer and the Internet. The online application is a secure website that patients can use to access and view their medical history, recent laboratory results, prescriptions, and immunization records.

In addition, the website gives patients the ability to request an appointment with a GRHC provider, request renewal of medication prescriptions, as well as arrange for medical transportation needs to and from GRHC facilities and other locations. Future versions of the Personal Patient Portal will allow patients to access their medical record from any smart phone and will have the capacity for allowing communication with your health care provider.

Accountability Commitment Patients & Families Culture Quality Self-Governance Trust

Submitted by Ginger FliggerChief Financial Officer

These days, people of all ages are using the internet, cell phones, and other

The Personal Patient Portal - a New InteractiveFeature Coming to Gila River Health Care

The Life Center!Do you know all the services that your Life Center has to offer?

The programs in the Life Center are federally funded through Indian Health Services to provide our patients and Gila River Community Members with diabetes‐related education, prevention, and care. We have seven (7) programs all designed to support participants in their journey towards good health and successfully managing chronic illness, like Diabetes.

Here’s a brief overview of our programs and what they offer:

Diabetes Education Program• Individual and group educational sessions and classes• A 12‐week weight management program• Community education sessions• Support and assistance with diet and meal planning

Diabetes Counseling and Support Program(Formerly referred to as the Diabetes Case Management Program)• Brief counseling services to provide emotional support• Encouragement and support for setting and achieving your personal self‐care goals• Support for staying on track with medical appointments and annual exams• Diabetes support groups, including a group just for women• Tobacco cessation support and education to quit smoking• Community education sessions• Assistance in getting connected to Community and GRHC resources

MOVE Program (MOVE stands for: Motivating Others to Value Exercise)• Individual fitness assessment and exercise routine planning• Group fitness sessions• Community education on exercise & fitness topics• Personal training to meet personal fitness/weight loss goals

SHIFT Program (SHIFT stands for Strengthening Health In Families Together)• A 12 hour/6 week program for parents and caregivers to learn about diabetes prevention & nutrition• Parenting education to learn more about healthy relationships, effective communication skills, & setting healthy boundaries for child/youth behavior• Community education on nutrition, healthy meal planning, unique parenting topics, and more!• Community events designed to promote positive family interactions and increase time for family focused physical activity

Youth Wellness Program• A 10 hour program provided in the school setting for youth in grades 2‐12• Education that focuses on nutrition, physical activity, and diabetes prevention• Sponsoring Community events that promote daily physical activity• Promoting the Presidential Award for Lifetime Activity with youth in all schools

Newly Diagnosed Diabetes Program• Emotional support for patients and their families who have been newly diagnosed with diabetes• Assistance with understanding the health care system and existing resources to support the patient in successfully managing their diabetes• Community education sessions

Diabetes Prevention Program• 16 week program designed to affect lifestyle changes in the areas of diet and exercise to prevent the onset of diabetes• Community events designed to promote physical activity and healthy eating• Individual coaching sessions to support participants through the program and lifestyle changes• Community education sessions

If you would like more information, please contact The Life Center at 520-562-7940.

Once fully implemented, patients will be able to obtain their user sign-on information when they visit the GRHC registration desk at any of our health care facilities. Patient access through the Personal Patient Portal can only be done with a user name and password.

One question that may arise is, “How secure is my health care information?” Health care providers are bound by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The Personal Patient Portal falls under this regulation. Very much like your own bank account, your personal information is secure and confidential. Security continues to be a top priority to implementing this system, as we develop ways to add convenience to your health care services offered at Gila River Health Care.

GRHC realizes the importance of utilizing emerging technologies, and we pride ourselves at being at the forefront of innovations and technology. However, we recognize and respect the fact that this new approach to health care may not be fitting for all our patients. Rest assured: GRHC will always stand firm to make every effort to provide the level of service our patients expect, which includes the human customer service interaction that some of our customers prefer. The Personal Patient Portal will be an option for our patients who prefer to utilize this tool to communicate, and will not replace our traditional way of delivering health care to our patients and families.

March 2013

On December 17, 2012, the na-tion mourned the passing of Sena-tor Daniel Inouye. In 1959, when Hawaii entered into statehood, the citizens of Hawaii elected him as one of their first representatives to the United States Senate. Sen. Inouye served on the Senate Com-mittee on Indian Affairs, as the Chairman from 1987 - 1995, the Vice-Chairman from 1995 - 1997, and again as Chairman from 2001 - 2003. He was to continue his role as a committee member in this 113th Congress.

During his tenure Sen. Inouye significantly persuaded much of the policy that affects Indian Country today; moreover, he un-derstood what telecommunica-tions meant for tribal nations and advocated for policy that strength-ened our sovereignty and self-suf-ficiency.

Sen. Inouye’s most influential work came as the Gila River In-dian Community and U.S. West Communications were locked in a stalemate. The Community was pursuing the purchase of the U.S. West-owned local telephone plant on behalf of its members. Two days after the visit with Sen. In-ouye, U.S. West Communications was back at the negotiating table with the Community. Due to Sen. Inouye’s selfless advocacy and leadership, Gila River Telecom-munications, Inc. (GRTI), came into existence in August, 1988.

Prior to GRTI, the Community

members who wished to get a tele-phone line installed would have been required to pay upwards of $50,000 in order to have copper extended from existing facilities along the last miles to reach a home. It was not profitable for U.S. West Communications, a for-profit regional Bell operating company (a.k.a. R-BOC) to extend services to reach a single customer. With Sen. Inouye’s help and a strategic partnership, GRTI was able to se-cure loans from the U.S.D.A. Ru-ral Utility Services (R.U.S.).

Several years later, Sen. Inouye was also helpful in getting En-hanced Lifeline and Link-up ser-vices established within the 1996 Telecommunications Act for every American residing within a low income household, which includ-ed Native Americans living in re-mote rural areas. This allowed for an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (E.T.C.) to receive monies from the national Universal Ser-vice Fund (U.S.F.) for spending the capital required to reach areas with just a few customers. GRTI was established as a federally des-ignated E.T.C.

Today GRTI utilizes similar monies to provide affordable com-munications services to nearly two thousand households within the Community’s exterior boundaries. At the end of 2012, approximately 70 percent of these households utilized the Enhanced Lifeline program, making them eligible to receive basic telephone service capable of unlimited local calling, access to operator services, direc-

tory assistance, long distance car-riers and 9-1-1 emergency service for just $1 or less per month.

And, every household within the Community is able to become part of the Public Switched Tele-phone Network (P.S.T.N.) provid-ing the ability to also connect to the Internet without having to pay for costly construction of network facilities to their houses. Much of the time, the Link-up provisions of

the 1996 Telecommunications Act make this possible.

The Community is greatly im-proved, with access to emergency services, online education, com-merce and one another as the di-rect result of the late Honorable Senator’s assistance. The Gila River Indian Community extends deep gratitude as we remember the dedicated leadership of the Honor-able Senator Daniel Inouye.

Robert Keller, Tribal Treasurer Linda Andrews,

Community Council Secretary

Material published in the Gila River Indian News may not be reproduced in any form

without consent from the Gila River Indian Community

LETTERS POLICY: GRIN welcomes letters and columns from readers. Let-ters should be limited to 200 words and be in good taste. Material that could be libelous or slanderous is not acceptable. All letters or columns should be signed with the writer’s true name, address and telephone number in the event GRIN may need to contact the writer. Only the name of the writer will be printed in the paper. Letters or columns without a complete signature, name, address or phone number will not be acceptable to GRIN for publication. GRIN reserves the right to edit submitted materials for grammar, spelling and content.

Write to: Editor, GRINP.O. Box 459

Sacaton, AZ 85147Published letters or columns do not neces-

sarily reflect the opinion of theEditor or

Gila River Indian Community.

Joshua [email protected]

Community Newsperson(520) 562-0001

Roberto A. [email protected]

Managing Editor(520) 562-9719

Zuzette [email protected]

CPAO Director(520) 562-9851

Gina [email protected]

GRIN Secretary II(520) 562-9715

Gila River Indian CommunityP.O. Box 459

Sacaton, AZ 85147(520)562-9715

www.gilariver.org/index.php/news

GovernorGregory Mendoza

Gila River Indian News

Mikhail [email protected]

Community Newsperson(520) 562-9717

District #1Arzie Hogg

Cynthia Antone

District #2Jewel Whitman

District #3Dale G. EnosMyron Schurz

District #4Barney B. Enos, Jr.

Jennifer AllisonChristopher Mendoza

Monica Antone

District #5Brenda RobertsonFranklin Pablo, Sr.Annette J. Stewart

Janice Stewart

District #6Anthony Villareal, Sr.

Albert PabloTerrance B. Evans

District #7Martha Miller

Community Council Representatives

Lt. GovernorStephen Roe Lewis

The GRIN encourages comments and suggestions about content that warrants correction or clarification. To report an error call (520)562-9719 or email [email protected]

CORRECTIONS

Letters & Opinions

Dear Editor:On Jan. 19, a surprise luncheon

was held at the Valle Luna restau-rant in Chandler for Dennis Wil-liams and Sylvester Joaquin, who retired from the Gila River Farms after many years of service in the construction branch.

Thanks to all the many guests and coworkers who came to honor these two men.

A special heartfelt appreciation goes out to Mr. & Mrs. Barry T. Williams, who, with his fam-

ily, made this possible. May God bless your thoughtfulness and your kindness in doing this lun-cheon on behalf of Sylvester and me. And thanks for the good food along with the nice gifts and the friendship that we felt among all.

Last but not least, may I men-tion this to Angela Williams: you did pull a good one on both of us. We were surprised.

Submitted by Dennis WilliamsDistrict 3 Community Member

To our Dearest Gila River In-dian Community,

This is a letter of appreciation in regards to the funeral assistance received for Michael C. Jackson. We would like to express our gratitude to all those who assisted us without delay or hesitation. Fi-nancially, mentally, emotionally, as well as physically, everything that was provided helped reduce the weight of this burden. With-out all the help from Tribal Social Services, Districts 4 & 5, as well as friends and family, it would

have seemed like an impossible struggle to get through. Being that this was our first time dealing with the death of an immediate family member, we appreciate the kind-ness and compassionate people that assisted us in this grievous matter. Special thanks to those that helped dig the grave, set up the wake chairs and IT equipment, set up the tent and chairs for the funeral services and all others who assisted in their own special ways.

With all heartfelt appreciation,The family of Michael C. Jackson

We as concerned Gila River In-dian Community Members have submitted a memo to our Elected Officials to request the “Save South Mountain Landowner Vot-ers Initiative” be investigated for fraudulent and misleading state-ments. We believe many signa-tures were obtained under false pretenses. Here are a couple of questions we want answered.

Do you support a Freeway on the Gila River Indian Community Yes/No. How many times must we say NO to this question; in how many ways can we say NO? Who exactly is the Allottee’s represen-tative? Is this the Landowner’s Association or is it Pangea? How can Pangea claim to represent the people who signed their docu-ments if these documents were

never notarized? Where is the proof that the State

of Arizona shall provide a single payment from the savings of not going through South Mountain to every enrolled tribal member of $2,000, is this even a possibility? Why are we being asked to vote on the condemnation of our fellow community members’ property?

If you do not know why we are asking these questions then you do not know what you signed when you put your name on the “Save South Mountain Landowners Vot-er Initiative”.

Sincerely,

Michael TashquinthD6 Community Member

Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI), who helped GRIC provide affordable telecommunications to its residents, passed away Dec. 17, 2012.

Official Senate Photo Portrait

A Hawaiian Leader to Remember

A surprise retirement send-off

Submitted by Anika Evanson behalf of Gila River Telecommunications, Inc.

D6 Community members express concern over Loop 202 initiative

From the family of Michael C. Jackson

Gila River Indian News March 2013

payments” to landowners in ex-change for entering land-lease negotiations with the company, “we gave no money at all for the initiative,” Percharo said.

He said he is confident that the tactics he and Pangea used were legitimate and said he is not fearful of the probe because “we haven’t done anything [wrong].”

When the initiative came up on the Council agenda, Com-munity Council Secretary Linda Andrews said her office verified 759 out of the 1,509 signatures. Initiative measures need at least 10 percent of registered vot-ers — currently 643— to either be adopted by the Community Council or set the matter for a vote.

Even though the petition con-tained the necessary number of signatures, members of the Council expressed concerned over accusations of misconduct they heard during recent dis-trict meetings. Councilmember Anthony Villareal, Sr. (D6) said he could not vote to accept the initiative with so many questions surrounding how the landowners obtained the signatures.

“It seems that this petition, by placing money on it, was a way to coax people to sign it,” Villar-eal said. “You can’t bribe people to vote.”

Councilmember Albert Pablo (D6) said the accusations “call into question this group’s integ-rity.”

After allowing more com-ments and debate on the issue from Community members, the Council went into a private cau-cus meeting for about 45 min-utes. It emerged with the 14-0 decision to not accept the petition for presentation and forwarded it to the GRPD and the Internal

Audit Department “to determine possible criminal conduct.” The investigators must report back in 30 days and again in 60 days if necessary.

“Our tribal leadership is go-ing to stick behind us,” said Lori Riddle, a freeway opponent and member of the group O’otham Alliance. “Our Community members, our districts are stick-ing together, and this is bringing our Community closer together – strengthening our communities and our ties.”

Initiative backers, however, were not deterred by the Coun-cil’s decision. In a released statement, the landowner group trumpeted the fact that the sig-natures had been verified and condemned the accusations of misconduct as “bogus, offensive claims.”

“Challenging elections is an age-old campaign tactic whether one lives in Phoenix, Chandler, New York or, apparently, our Community,” said Joseph Perez, a Community member partner in Pangea. “These tactics will be rejected for the sour grapes they are knowing that the vast major-ity of our people favor the hope, jobs and revenues of the freeway on tribal land as opposed to get-ting only an environmental scar and no economic benefits if it is built through Ahwatukee.”

Officially known as the Save South Mountain Landowner Voter Initiative, the initiative calls for rescinding the February 2012 vote in which the majority of voters either said they did not want the freeway built at all or wanted it off tribal lands. (48.6 percent voted “no build,” 40.7 for “on tribal lands” and 10.7 percent for “off tribal lands”).

The new initiative calls for a

“yes’ or a “no” vote only. Sup-porters say the Arizona Depart-ment of Transportation is going to build the 22-mile freeway no matter what, and a yes vote is the only way the state will avoid blasting through South Moun-tain, which holds great cultural significance to the Community.

The initiative also states that the Community and landowner representative will negotiate with the state for other benefits: “The state shall provide a single payment for the saving of not go-ing through South Mountain, to every enrolled tribal member of $2,000” and “The state will de-velop a plan and finance all ef-forts to stop commercial truck traffic on 51st Avenue . . .”

In a four-page letter signed by

anti-freeway D6 members and read to Council, Danelle Spring said petition signers were mis-lead by unproven guarantees such as these. “[W]hy are we being forced to disturb our sav-ings account or budget to finance a vote based off hypothetical promises? Where is the proof that this is even a possibility from the State of Arizona?”

Spring also said that Percha-ro’s group deceived Community members by claiming “no build” was not an option in its Frequent-ly Asked Questions pamphlet it handed out to voters, even though the state is mandated to consider a no-build alternative. This, Spring said, violates the Community Code Section 5.602 that defines obtaining a signa-

ture by deception as “knowingly misrepresenting or omitting any fact material to the instrument or transaction.”

In response, Percharo pointed to a proposition approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985 that provided the funding for the freeway. He said since the money has already been approved, the freeway will be built eventually.

ADOT is in the process of analyzing the Pecos Road free-way alignment, an off-reserva-tion alignment that would pass through South Mountain. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement, which analyzes the consequences of the freeway as well as those of not building it, will be released sometime this year.

GRPD investigating allegations of misconduct against Landowner initiative

YOUR PER CAPITA CORNER 2013 www.mygilariver.com/percapita

Quarterly Per Capita Schedule: Quarterly Deadline Payment Date March 15 April 30 (Tues) June 17 July 31 (Wed) September 16 October 31 (Thurs)

Trust Early Distribution Request: Request Deadline Checks Mailed April 1 April 15 (Mon) July 1 July 15 (Mon) September 30 October 15 (Tues)

Did you know:

• 866 members came to the Per Capita Office to pick up their per capita checks on Thursday, January 31st?

• 117 mailed checks and 529 earnings statements were returned to the PCO due to outdated addresses?

Please keep your address current with the Enrollment Dept. using an Address Update Form. For each update, also submit an updated “IRS W-9 Form” to the PCO showing your most current address. Submit your forms before the Quarterly Deadlines (see above). IRS 1099 Forms For per capita recipients, if you have not received your 1099, please make sure your Enrollment address is current, then contact the Per Capita Office (562-5222). For GRIC vendors, you can contact the Finance Department at 562-9621.

FRIENDLY REMINDERS New adult applications: Members turning 18 years old by April 30, 2013 and applying for adult per capita, must apply by March 15,

2013 in order to be considered for the April 30th payment. Direct Deposit: If you receive your payments by direct deposit and your account closes there are procedures that are followed. First, the PCO must receive a direct deposit reject notice (this is received only if you don’t owe the bank money). Second, we must receive the funds back from your bank. Third, in order to request a manual check from GRIC, we need a current W-9 from you. This entire process could take up to 3 weeks. Always make sure your address is updated and correct. PER CAPITA MINOR TRUST DISTRIBUTIONS To assist members with minor trust questions and filling out an early distribution request, a Providence First Trust Company representative will be at the Per Capita Office on Thursday, March 28 and Monday, April 1. PER CAPITA OFFICE The PCO is open Mon. – Fri., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Per capita information/ forms are available on the community website: www.mygilariver.com; visit or call the PCO (562-5222 or (866) 416-2618). We can mail the information to your official Enrollment address. COBELL INDIAN TRUST SETTLEMENT The Per Capita Office is not affiliated with these payments. If you have questions regarding checks, please call Cobell at 800-961-6109. For IIM accounts call BIA at 520-562-3608 or the Office of Special Trustees at 888-678-6836.

From Page 1

The Gila River Community Council tasked the GRPD with investigating the Landowners initiative. Acting Chief Edward Alameda, pictured in his office, checks email unrelated to the investigation.


Gila River Indian NewsMarch 2013

Community updatesHere are some monthly updates on the on-going issues pertaining to the Gila River Indian Community.by GRin staFF

Progress on State Route 87 improvement project

Violence Against Women Act expands protection to Native Americans

Tribal Law and Order Act implementation delayed

Pangea development proj-ect denied by tribal council

Ongoing improvement work along State Route 87 between Hunt Highway and State Route 287 on the Gila River Indian Community is continuing on schedule, according to the Ari-zona Department of Transporta-tion.

While the entire $7.2 million project stretches more than 20 miles along SR 87, construction crews have recently concentrated their work on adding new shoul-ders along approximately ten miles of the highway.

The project is designed to im-prove safety with the addition of eight-foot shoulders, turn lanes at intersections and new highway

signs.Crews have been working to

complete north- and southbound shoulder paving along SR 87 be-tween Arizona Boulevard and Sandia Way. They will then con-tinue with roadway widening north of Sandia Way.

Work will take place on week-days from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Driv-ers are asked to use caution in

work zones, especially because the shoulder additions require crews to work right next to the existing traffic lanes.

New signs have been added on the northern half of the project.

Crews will then add a smooth, rubberized asphalt surface along the highway this spring.

The project was developed through a partnership between

ADOT, the Gila River Indian Community and its transporta-tion department, as well as the Federal Highway Administra-tion. Federal highway safety funds and state funds are being used to pay for the improve-ments.

The work is scheduled for completion this summer.

The revised criminal code for the Gila River Indian Community will be fully implemented on Jan. 1, 2014. The misdemeanor por-tion of the code will go into effect six months earlier on June 1.

In a Feb. 6 meeting, the Gila River Community Council pushed back the implementation date from May 1 so that more public outreach can be done. The deci-sion to apply the misdemeanor portion first, followed six months later by the felony section, will give the Gila River judicial sys-tem time to become familiar with the new code before the higher stakes of felony proceedings be-gin.

The Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 (TLOA) gave tribal authori-ties the power to sentence offend-ers up to three years per offense and nine years total, up from one year per offense and three years total. The new code also includes much-need rules for criminal pro-

cedure and sentencing guidelines that judges can refer to.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs must approve the Gila River prison as fit to house long-term inmates before felons can be held there. The Department of Reha-bilitation and Supervision, along with the Office of General Coun-sel (OGC), is working on a report to send to the BIA.

OGC, which led the TLOA revi-sion workgroup, will continue its effort to inform the Community about the coming changes. They will present at district meetings beginning this month and host two public hearings for Commu-nity members on March 21 and 28 (see flyer to the right). Commu-nity members employed by GRIC will be able to utilize administra-tive leave to attend.

The revised code is also avail-able online at mygilariver.com and in hard copy at each district service center.

The Gila River Indian Commu-nity Council on Feb. 20 approved a motion to decline a proposal by the Pangea Development Co. LLC, to build a residential de-velopment on the west end of the Gila River Indian Reservation.

The Council also declined to move forward with other Pangea considerations because Pangea failed to provide information re-quested by the Council regarding the Pangea development project.

The Council approved the Feb. 20 motion by a vote of 13-0, with one abstaining vote.

Pangea had previously sought to obtain a Memorandum of Un-derstanding with the Community regarding its proposed master

lease to develop a “City Con-cept” on allotted lands within the Reservation. In an October meet-ing, the Council gave an 11-point directive requesting specific in-formation regarding the Pangea project, including that Pangea prove its ability to pay for its proposed development, provide details of its operation, and dem-onstrate that it has the required number of consenting landown-ers.

Because the discussion of this issue occurred during executive session at the Council meeting, additional details were not read-ily available as to the information Pangea failed to provide.

President Barack Obama is preparing to sign the bill to re-authorize the Violence Against Women Act, which the U.S. House of Representatives passed Feb. 28. The highly anticipated VAWA reauthorization expands protections to lesbian, gay, bi-sexual & transgender (LGBT) and Native American victims of domestic violence.

The 1994 Violence Against Women Act expired in 2011. Congressional Democrats moved to reauthorize the legislation with

amendments in 2012 but the bill was held up by Republicans who claimed that the new changes to the law were unconstitutional.

For example, the latest incar-nation of VAWA grants power to tribal courts to prosecute non-Indian offenders of domestic violence and sexual abuse if the crime occurs on tribal land. Op-ponents of the bill said this runs counter to states’ rights and those of the alleged perpetrator. In the end, the bill passed through the House of Representatives with a

vote of 286-138, with the support of 87 Republicans.

Inclusion of the provisions protecting American Indians were hard fought for by House Democrats. Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) spoke to The Huffington Post on Feb. 15: “I’m really concerned about the Native American portion of this, because 25 percent of my constituents are Native Ameri-can,” she said. “The women are two and a half times more likely to be assaulted in their lifetime

than other women. So I’m really fighting to keep this critical new language in there.”

Kirkpatrick represents Ari-zona’s 1st District, which covers a number of reservation lands in-cluding Navajo, White Mountain Apache and the Gila River Indian Community, to list a few.

The bill provides for more than $650 million in protective ser-vices over five years. Now that VAWA has passed into law once again, however, it will be imme-diately confronted with a round

of extreme budget cuts known as the sequestration, which could gut more than $20 million from its budget, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Originally, VAWA was spon-sored by then-Senator and cur-rent Vice President Joe Biden in 1994. The law established the Office on Violence Against Women and provides support services and legal protections for women and men who fall victim to domestic violence and sexual abuse.

Submitted By Doug NintzelADOT Spokesman


Michelle Cruz needs a new job. The medical transportation com-pany she works for might be go-ing out of business. The 24-year-old District 4 resident is looking to stay employed so she can con-tinue to help care for her family.

Cruz joined more than 1,500 applicants that swarmed the Phoenix Premium Outlets job fair on Feb. 15 to network with around 60 employers seeking to fill 800 full and part-time posi-tions. Nearly 450 who signed in were Native American, with 261 coming from Gila River.

“I really want to do that and make a better living for my fam-ily and me,” Cruz said. “I have a nephew [and] three nieces, so I’m helping take care of them and do-ing what I can for them.”

Set to open April 4, the Phoe-nix Premium Outlets is a 360,000 square-foot mall located next to the Wild Horse Pass Casino off the Interstate 10. The shopping center, operated by Simon Prop-erty Group, will house 90 stores and food options and reportedly offer savings of 25 to 65 percent every day, according to the com-pany’s website.

Cruz talked to recruiters from Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, Levi, Nike and Subway, among others. A complete list of retailers can be seen at premiumoutlets.com/phoenix.

Held at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa, the job fair lasted from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and attracted people from around the Valley of all demo-graphics — men and women, young and middle-aged, Na-tives and non-Natives. Recruiters

handed out applications and in-terviewed some prospective em-ployees on the spot. They were looking to fill all positions, rang-ing from stockers and sales clerks to managers.

Alexandra Nelson, 16, was searching around for store brands she would want to work for. Nelson, a VHM student from Sacaton, talked with nervous ex-citement as she prepared for an interview with Converse that was to take place in 20 minutes.

“I am very jumpy,” said Nel-son, who was attending her first job fair.

Nelson focused on being open and friendly with the recruiter. She appreciated the opportunity to gain employment within GRIC.

“I just want to be able to come out and get something more out of my Community,” Nelson said. She urged Community members to “take advantage of this and be like, ‘We want this job, we want to be able to work.’”

Recruiters like Old Navy store manager Erica Swisher said it’s common to feel nervous heading into these interviews. Swisher said her team wanted to break up that tension.

“We just want you to be natural and have a conversation with us,” Swisher said. “If you can have a conversation with us, we can trust you can do that with the customer as well.”

Not every Community member had a positive experience. At least one job seeker, who requested not to be identified, said one recruiter was unwelcoming and seemed ignorant about the Gila River In-dian Community. The experience left the applicant wondering how open some retailers would be

about hiring Community mem-bers.

“They should have known at least a little bit [about GRIC] es-pecially if your company is going to be on our soil,” the applicant said.

The applicant did not think that all retailers at the job fair had this attitude, but plans to make a for-mal complaint to the offending store.

Gila River Indian Community members hope to benefit from the Indian Preference requirement that each employer must follow. (Since the Phoenix outlets are not owned and operated by the com-munity, extra preference is not given to Community members over other Native Americans.) While there is no quota system in place for hiring Native Ameri-cans, every retailer at the outlets — and the contractors who build them — must be in compliance with Title 12 of the Community Code. This ordinance requires

any company offering jobs in GRIC to give a hiring preference to an equally qualified Native American applicant.

The Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) helps oversee that companies adhere to Title 12. Ev-ery one of the outlet stores, for example, must have a compliance plan approved by TERO. The stores must report to TERO on a weekly basis with data about how many Natives they employ.

TERO will also conduct sight visits throughout the mall, said Director Stephanie Sauceda.

“If we have qualified individu-als, they should have preference on those jobs,” said Marcus Sekayouma, a TERO compliance officer.

The office can issue citations and fines of up to $500 per day if stores are found to be passing over qualified Native applicants. TERO can check a company’s certified payroll records to know what and how many positions it

is providing.Maura Eggan, the vice presi-

dent of marketing for the Premi-um Outlets Western region, said all the stores are complying with TERO. “That’s in the leases of our tenants…” Eggan said. “Ev-erybody’s been informed of the TERO requirements.”

TERO is also a resource for Community members looking for employment. The office assists GRIC job seekers in finding po-sitions they qualify for. “That’s what we’re there for,” Sekayou-ma said.

Eggan was pleased with the turnout of the job fair and be-lieves the premium outlets will be a win-win for consumers and workers.

“We’re excited about coming into this market,” Eggan said. “We think that shoppers are go-ing to love Phoenix Premium Outlets and we think employees are going to be very happy work-ing there.”


Natanya Manuel (District 1) meets with a recruitment representative at the Phoenix Premium Outlet job fair. Manuel joined 260 Community members seeking employment opportunities at the new mall.


Phoenix Premium Outlets job fair offers 800 jobs

Women, it is often said, pre-serve the fabric of a culture. Nothing serves as a stronger symbol of this substantial respon-sibility than Miss Gila River, an ambassadorship now in its 50th year.

Former Miss Gila Rivers and their families marked this golden anniversary Feb. 23 at the Acacia Banquet Hall at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino. The pageant, which stretches back to 1963, has established a com-mon bond among these women as representatives of the Akimel O’otham and Pee-Posh cultures.

Photos and newspaper clip-pings flashed on two large pro-jector screens, showing bright, smiling faces from the past five decades. Some were present in the banquet room while others had passed on. The hairstyles, clothing and cars marked differ-ent eras; the faces were younger. But all represented a piece of the grand history of the Miss Gila River pageant and the weight the title holds.

“It has made us have this sister-hood that when we run into each

other, we automatically laugh and joke and talk about things that brought us happiness from our year,” said Wanda Manuel, crowned in 1969. She added: “Not every girl gets this opportu-nity, but we did. From me looking back to all you girls tonight, I’m so proud.”

Talia Antone, who assumed the role of Miss Gila River after Rae-ging Storm Miles stepped down, spoke about what the opportunity has meant to her.

“It’s this great opportunity to be able to run and represent the Community and become a role model to our youth,” Antone said.

The purpose of the Miss Gila River pageant “was to provide young Akimel O’otham and Pee-Posh women the opportunity to demonstrate their character, tal-ent and beauty while representing the Gila River Indian Commu-nity in a variety of settings both on and off the Gila River Indian reservation,” said Gov. Gregory

Mendoza.Mendoza recognized the for-

mer Miss Gila Rivers who had continued their service of ex-cellence by holding leadership roles in the Community. Among the many he noted were Annette Stewart (current D5 Council-member and former Chief Judge), Kristina Morago (former D3 Councilmember), Noel Hoover (division manager of Tribal De-velopment Services), Pamela Thompson (director of Commu-

nity Services Department), and Zuzette Kisto (director of Com-munications and Public Affairs).

The late Wilma Marrietta was first crowned “Miss Pima” in 1963. The contest was open to any childless GRIC woman be-tween 18 and 24 years old who was either a full-time student or full-time worker. The name later evolved to Miss Gila River in the 1970s to be more representative of the entire Community.

Manuel recalled how in her day, each district would decide on its contestant by displaying jars with a picture of a Miss Gila River hopeful on it. Whichever girl got the most donations would be nominated for the pageant.

“I had the most money in my jar because I think my grandpa went there every day and put some money in there,” Manuel joked.

Diana Antone, chairwoman of the Gila River Royalty Commit-tee and Miss Gila River 2007, recognized the former titlehold-ers for providing the historical perspective at the banquet cel-ebration. “I thank you a lot for paving the way for us and paving the way for the next 50 years,” Diana Antone said.

Former Miss Gila Rivers celebrate 50 years representing the CommunityBy Joshua JovanellyGila River Indian News

Former Miss Gila Rivers pose for a picture in the Acacia Room of the Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino. The Community has held a pageant to select a young woman to represent GRIC since 1963.


March 2013 Health & Wellness

The 7th Annual National Na-tive HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is designated to be March 20, which is a national mobilization effort to engage and inform native communities about the impact of HIV/AIDS in the American In-dian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian populations. Gila River

Health Care (GRHC) will recog-nize this initiative on March 17, at this year’s Gila River Indian Com-munity (GRIC) Mul-Chu-Tha Fair and Rodeo. Information about HIV/AIDS will be provided to at-tendees of this year’s fair, and all, both youth and elders, are encour-aged to get educated, get tested, and get involved in HIV preven-tion both at the local, as well as the national levels.

According to the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) and American Indian/Alaskan Na-tives (AI/AN) have the third and fourth highest rates of new HIV infections. Despite this, over half of AI/ANs and almost 60 percent of NHOPI have never been tested for HIV.

This represents an enormous difference between the Native American community and the

general population. Best practices show this disparity can be ad-dressed through HIV prevention efforts specifically tailored to fit the needs of the native communi-ties.

Experts have identified a num-ber of these disparities associated with HIV/AIDS in these commu-nities. These include such factors as the lack of culturally sensitive health care and testing services, flawed HIV monitoring and data

collection methods, and fear and shame surrounding the disease it-self.

“The statistics may not paint a clear picture of the HIV epidemic in the Native communities, but we know we are affected. March 20 is about our community taking the lead to raise awareness,” said Stay Bohlen, current board member of the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center.

7th Annual National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness Day: March 20

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Christina FloydHIV Educator, Family Planning Department

Health Research: Southwestern American Indi-an Center (at PIMC) looking for full-time Regis-tered Nurse or other phlebotomy/IV background for long term national diabetes research study. Bachelor Degree preferred. Experience with par-ticipant recruitment, case management and diabe-tes treatment preferred. Please submit resumes to [email protected]

Health Research: Southwestern American Indi-an Center (at PIMC) looking for full-time Study Assistant for long term national diabetes re-search study. High school diploma or equivalent required, college degree preferred. Experience with data entry, scheduling, assist with volunteer recruitment and study visits. Please submit re-sumes to [email protected]

Thomas Joseph is the hard-est worker we have here in District 6. He is always happy and so enthusiastic about ev-erything that it gets the other employees hopping also.

He has outstanding work ethic. He is always at work early and eager to get started. He greets all the other em-ployees with a smile and calls everyone by name. He never complains about any project you send him out on – even working on backed up toilets or digging up a new sewer line.

He is just as happy as can be to be here helping out the Community. Even as a labor-er, we can depend on him to head up a crew and to carry out whatever is assigned to them. He goes above and be-yond every day for everyone he meets. He is always help-ing out other departments or offering the other employees a ride if they need it.

He lives in Scottsdale and makes the drive without com-plaints even if he needs to come in on the weekend. He volunteers to help out recre-ation and the elderly at their events. He goes as far as

bringing in a box of dough-nuts every Friday and has since the first week he started at his own expense so the oth-er employees have something to look forward to.

He is a great human being all in all. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Aided Drafting from Arizona State University and plans to go back to school to study Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning next year.

He lives with his wife. He stays physically healthy by running. He is a great exam-ple for the rest of the employ-ees.Thomas Joseph received his plaque for Governor’s January Em-

ployee of the Month on Friday, Feb. 1 in Council Chambers


Governor’s January Employee of the Month: Thomas JosephSubmitted byHuman Resources

March 2013 Culture & History

With construction of the Pima-Maricopa Irrigation Project nearing completion on the eastern end of the reservation, once again having enough water to farm is becoming a reality. For generations of O’otham and Piipash who rightfully complained, joined legal battles, and watched entire villages wither, it has come too late. So, in the ebb and flow of Southwestern water rights history, it is a bittersweet victory.

In the book, “Forced to Abandon Our Fields: The 1914 Clay Southworth Gila River Interviews,” author David H. DeJong documents our ancestral elders’ recollections and observations about the devastating water loss. Some of the people mentioned in this article may be your relatives. I am glad that Mr. DeJong has helped bring light to this part of our history.

In 1913 the Indian Service conducted the Gila River Survey to gather information for a Congressional report to support O’otham rights to the Gila River. The next year Clay Southworth interviewed 34 kekel (elders) as part of the survey. Three O’otham served as translators: Lewis (Louis) Nelson, a graduate of the Albuquerque Indian School who had been a teacher at Pima Day School, along with John Enis and Rudolph Johnson. The book is the first publication of these interviews. Elders told of the slow deterioration of villages and fields. They also noted that centuries-old ditches and villages had to be abandoned and of the organized effort to dig new ditches to coax water from the disappearing Akimel to rescue thirsty fields. Their observances provided a snapshot into cultural and tribal history.

In 1914, Antonito Azul was living in Sacaton Flats. He was born and raised in Sweetwater, but the family had to move upstream to dig a new ditch in 1871. The family borrowed money to build the Cottonwoods ditch, on the north side of the Gila, between present-day Sacaton and Sacaton Flats. The ditch was never fully operational and was abandoned by 1889. The Azul family had to abandon 123 acres of land. He related a painful memory of when our people went to gather mescal near Tucson. When the men left to hunt, the enemy raided and took all the women and children. In despair, the men came back and burned their homes and brush dams in the Akimel. They left the site and scattered to live with relatives.

George Pablo was from Mount Top Village near Pimas Rattle Snake home, a small hill in present-day Casa Blanca. He spoke no English, 65 when interviewed and had been a tribal judge. He listed eight ditches dug before his time and three dug when he was a child. In the book, a hand drawn sketch of irrigation ditches in 1850 is also shown. He said the disappearing water forced people to leave mother villages like Casa Blanca and move to Santan and Blackwater; the Santa Cruz people moved to Gila Crossing while others went to Salt River.

Ho-ke Wilson was 70 when interviewed. He was born in Bapchule, but his family moved, first to nearby Kow-vot-ka, then to Stone Mortar, and finally settling in Mount Top Village, the last three villages now abandoned. He explained that village cooperation was key in keeping ditches clean and fields planted. Nowadays we get shopping fever when a new cell phone or computer game system comes out. Wilson reminisced about O’otham farmers going to Tucson for a new kind of “Mexican shovel.”

Joseph Head, of Casa Blanca and Gila Crossing and a calendar stick owner, was 70 years old when interviewed. He explained how ditches were used to transport large poles and logs before the use of wooden wagons. He also mentioned the cooperative spirit necessary to clear land and construct ditches such as those called Hoover, John Thomas and Cooperative. He told about the mesquite depletion when people started selling firewood instead of farming because of the stolen water. He explained that life was difficult for all, but very hard on families who had no wagon to haul wood.

You can glimpse changing history in the last names of these 1914 elders. Some of the surnames are Spanish in origin, others American, and some listed by one O’otham name. It is 2013, almost a century since the survey that is the foundation for Mr. DeJong’s book. If you get a chance to read it, maybe you can hear echoes of our ancestors’ experiences.

SPECIAL SERIES BY BILLY ALLEN

A’AGASOMETHING TO BE TOLD OR TALKED ABOUT

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Across Down 1. Wheelbarrow 2. Field 4. Pick Axe 3. Clippers/Pruning Shears 6. Garden Hoe 5. Crowbar 8. Planting Stick 7. Bucket 10. Garden Rake 9. Shovel 12. Axe 11. Fence

The name for this month references the kwi (Mesquite tree) “leafing out” and is na-ture’s way of letting us know that spring is here. During this time we celebrate many spe-cial days, including our Com-munity’s Annual Celebration called Mul-Chu-Tha.

Mul-chu-tha comes from the O’otham root word melch ‘to race’ and originally referred to footraces or races with the kicking-ball. The Blackwa-ter calendar stick for 1875-76 (Russell 1908:55) records that, ‘for a short time the Pimas were free from attacks, and ventured into the mountains to gather mescal. While there, a race took place between a man and a woman, in which the woman won. Later in the sea-son there was a general gath-ering of the villages to witness a race with the kicking-ball.’ The annual Melch’tha (‘day of racing’ as it would be spelled in the GRIC updated orthogra-phy) is celebrated by our com-munity with a parade, rodeo, carnival, and inter-tribal Pow Wow.

Also occurring during this

month are religious obser-vances that lead into Easter Sunday. Hevhodakud Thash is Palm Sunday, which falls on the Sunday before Easter. Hevhodakud is the O’otham name of the Northern Fan Palm and the O’otham name for Palm Sunday comes from the palm fronds that are given out during this day. Mu:kig Jiosh Alithag is the O’otham way of saying Good Friday and refers to the death of God’s Son. Jiosh Alithag E-Chek’tho is the O’otham way of saying Easter. This word e-chek’tho in O’otham means ‘to regain consciousness or to revive’ so Jiosh Alithag E-Chek’tho is the O’otham way of saying the ‘Resurrection of God’s Son’.

In addition during this month we observe the Spring Equinox, which marks the be-ginning of spring after a cold winter. Many Community members get busy during this month in preparing their gar-dens for spring planting by turning the soil and repairing the fences.

Kwi I’ivakithak MashathThis month’s crossword puzzle is on s-e:’esigtham chichkpanakud (Farmer’s tools). Test your knowledge on the names for different tools used by gardeners and see where they fit in the crossword puzzle.

ban wiyosha gi:k hukshanakud oithag es’kud ha:sa ko:li sivaitho huch gavnol hi:kakud nov kalith va:so

Bonus!! Two of these words have literal names that reference animals. Can you guess which ones they are and what they literally mean in O’otham ñeo’ok?

Solutions on page 20

March 2013

Consider it one of the rare in-stances where D-backs pitcher Patrick Corbin doesn’t mind giv-ing up a long ball.

Less than 24 hours before thou-sands of D-backs fans were antici-pated to descend on Chase Field for Saturday’s ninth annual Sub-

way D-backs FanFest, the Gila River Hometown Tour made its way to the ballpark to help give 100 youths from the nearby Boys & Girls Club Komatke and Saca-ton branches an exclusive sneak peek of the next day’s scheduled fan activities.

That also included a few appear-ances from some familiar faces. Corbin joined fellow pitchers Josh

Collmenter and David Hernandez and outfielder Adam Eaton to help encourage the youngsters from the Gila River Indian Community to enjoy a Subway meal in the D-backs’ dugout, participate in a col-oring contest, tour the clubhouse and play a little Wiffle ball.

“As a pitcher you never want to give up hits, but to these kids it’s fine,” said Corbin. “I was telling them all to take me deep if they could. To come out here and make their day is all we’re trying to do. When I was a kid, I would have been so excited to meet players and interact with them. I’m sure they’ll remember this for some time, and the D-backs do a great job in helping communities with these types of programs.”

Hernandez did his part by help-ing some of the D-backs’ young guests with their coloring skills.

“That’s something I pride my-self on when it comes to coloring -- staying within the lines,” said

the reliever. “It’s fun to reach out to the community, to kids and to fans. They support us, so it’s al-ways good for us to give back, and it’s definitely fun to be around kids. I have two of my own, so it’s great to be out here.”

According to Rebecca Marti-nez, branch executive from Gila River Sacaton, there are 11 Boys & Girls Clubs in the East Valley with two located on the Gila River Indian Community that serve as an after-school, nonprofit organi-zation for youths ages 5-18.

“We’re very fortunate today,” said Martinez. “This is all thanks to Gila River Casinos and thanks to the D-backs for having us. When we told the kids we were seeing the D-backs, they went ‘What time?’ so this is great for them. A lot of them never get to go to games, so this is a great way for them to get to know the play-ers. A lot of our kids don’t have the opportunity to leave the Gila

River Indian Community. Com-ing downtown is an experience in itself, so this is a first for a lot of them. The D-backs are huge sup-porters of the Boys & Girls Clubs, so we are very grateful to them.”

Following Friday’s fun at Chase Field, the D-backs’ quartet had one more Gila River Hometown Tour event to go before the next day’s Subway D-backs FanFest. The players headed to nearby Gila River Casinos Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino for a public au-tograph session where 200 lucky fans were eligible to meet them and get a signature.

“It’s a lot like FanFest, which should be fun,” said Eaton. “It’s a great opportunity for players and fans to mingle. Saturday’s a unique opportunity here in Ari-zona, too, because we’re doing all this on our field. It’s a great chance for everybody to get up close and personal. It’s amazing for us and fans, really.”

By Josh GreeneArizona Diamondbacks

Josh Rawitch/Arizona DiamondbacksDiamondbacks Pitcher Josh Collmenter made an appearance at the Gila River Hometown Tour event in Downtown Phoenix.

D-backs host kids during Gila River Hometown Tour

Youth & Elder

That miniscule moment of time immortalized Hayes, a full-blood-ed Akimel O’otham who was only 20 at the time, in the memory of his people. The flag-raising parade is an annual Community event to pay respects to the hometown hero, who passed away in 1955.

“Ira and other marines will be forever remembered and honored for this single act of bravery per-formed at a time and place that re-assured and renewed the fighting spirit of all those involved in the battle,” said Lt. Gov. Stephen R. Lewis.

Speaking to the crowd gathered at the park immediately follow-ing the parade, Lewis commended Hayes for answering the nation’s call to arms at a time when the Pimas and Maricopas were “the poorest of the poor.”

“You were sent over as boys and soon became men,” Lewis said. “Through your deeds and sacrifices, you became warriors. And you returned home to us as heroes.”

Urban Giff, Commander of Post 84, said the celebration was for all WWII veterans, “the greatest gen-eration” that is dwindling in num-bers with each passing year. Giff recognized the six Iwo Jima survi-vors and four Navajo code talkers in attendance.

In the first two days of the battle of Iwo Jima, Navajo code was in the air every three minutes, send-ing out more than 800 messages without a single mistake. Peter McDonald Sr., president of the Navajo Code Talkers Association, thanked GRIC for continuing to honor Hayes and other WWII vet-erans.

“We are very proud to know that he served honorably,” McDonald said. “And we should continue this celebration for the benefit for those of us who served in the same outfit, as well as for the young people who are growing up. Yes,

there’s a lot to remember.”There are fewer than 40 code

talkers alive today.The bronze statues of Hayes

and WWI hero Mathew B. Juan were done by Oscar Urrea, a Viet-nam veteran and service officer at Post 84. Urrea came up with the idea for the memorial park after hearing stories from Iwo Jima survivors. He eventually solicited tribal funding to make the park what it is today.

Urrea donated the sculptures to the park, taking no payment for his work. “These guys’ souls are worth more than the money,” he said.

Other Community events hon-oring Hayes included a pop-wow hosted by the First Nations War-rior Society on the Sacaton rodeo grounds and a dinner at the Saca-ton Boys and Girls Club.

The dinner included Com-munity members, local veterans and visitors from as far away as Michigan and Oklahoma. Gov. Gregory Mendoza gave the key-note address, noting that Hayes is “a source of tremendous pride to our people, to our Community.”

It’s hard to know what Hayes would have thought about all this

recognition so many years later. By many accounts, Hayes tried to distance himself from a post-war fame he did not ask for and scoffed at the word hero. He prob-ably suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder as he struggled to accept his own survival when so many of his fellow soldiers had paid the ultimate price during the war.

Maybe you can’t define a man in 1/400 of second with the flash of a camera lens in a foreign land. Maybe calling a man a hero is eas-ier than defining what it means.

Yet memory is a relentless force. Hayes’ deeds will remain alive in the collective mind of the Com-munity. At the dinner, in front of the speaking podium, was a small, empty “remembrance table” with

an upside down glass, meant to symbolize the absence of men like Hayes and all the others who have died for this country.

“The glass is inverted,” Post 84 Adjunct Tony McDaniel read. “They cannot toast with us to-night. Maybe tomorrow.

“But we remember.”

From Page 1

Ira Hayes’ role in iconic photo commemorated

Above: the Scottish American Military Society Post 48 stands beneath a mural of the flag raising on Mt. Suribachi. Below: Navajo code talkers are recognized for their heralded efforts in World War II.



GREEN BAY, WI—After only five years since they formed a construction company, two Pi-ma-Maricopa men have laid the groundwork of a path they hope will lead to success for other Na-tive Americans.

In early February, Mavid Con-struction Services, LLC, received a letter from the University of Wisconsin School of Ecology thanking them for their in-kind contribution of construction ser-vices in excess of $500,000.

“We felt this size of gift to higher education would demon-strate not only our craftsmanship, but also that we do believe in giv-ing back,” said Mavid owner Zoar Fulwilder.

Fulwilder, a University of Wis-consin alumnus, says he has other ideas on how to give back.

“I realized how much I admired

how successful ASU, U of A and New Mexico Natives have been at building really strong alumni net-works,” Fulwilder said. “These professional networks have en-abled a good number of their graduates to run successful busi-nesses and secure high profile positions that make an impact — and that inspired me. I would like to help start one for the UW.”

While this endeavor may be

farther down the road for Ful-wilder, Mavid Construction has been actively recruiting and train-ing Native Americans in multiple construction trades and guiding them through union membership. Fulwilder and his partner David Montiel, both members of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, say they are commit-ted by being proactive in finding solutions in their business model

and for those whom they recruit. Mavid Constructions Services,

LLC is a Native American owned company with offices in Green Bay, Wis., and on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Scottsdale. Mavid Construction Services, LLC was formed in 2008 by Montiel and Fulwilder. The goal of this group is to build a nationwide Native American-owned construction company founded on the vast experience, knowledge, diversity, financial resources and integrity

of the owners.

####Mavid Construction Services

LLC, a State of Wisconsin MBE certified contractor, specializes in metal stud and drywall, commer-cial flooring, glass and glazing, and commercial doors and hard-ware. The union-affiliated com-pany can be reached on the web at www.mavidconstruction.com. H.J. Martin & Son, Inc., is acting as an industry mentor to the firm.

1. HAILEY ENOSReview Hearing

Case #: J-11-0093/0094/0095/0096/0097

Court Date: May 10, 2013 at 9 a.m. in Courtroom #2, 1st Floor.

2. CHRIS ALLENReview Hearing

Case #: J-11-0093/0094/0095/0096/0097


3. ANTHONY ALLEN SR.Review Hearing

Case #: J-11-0093/0094/0095/0096/0097


4. RILE HOWARDReview Hearing

Case #: J-11-0093/0094/0095/0096/0097


5. GAIL BROWNReview Hearing

Case#: J-10-0121/0122

Court Date: May 14, 2013 at 9 a.m. in Courtroom #2, 1st floor.

CONTACT:Salt River Pima-Maricopa Community Court

10,005 E. Osborn Rd. Building 23

Scottsdale, Arizona 85256Phone: 480-362-6315

CIVIL SUMMONS

have at Sells and the one in Sacaton.” To a cowgirl like Wahlean “Bobbie” Riggs, this

means a lot. She said the rodeo “has come a long way because Dick Powell and Ben Crow took over.”

Riggs has been roping for over 20 years and rid-ing since she was six. She was raised on a farm in the Gila River Indian Community’s District 5, where she still resides today. Typically, she competes in team roping as a heeler but her specialty is break-away roping — a race against the clock and a game in which hundredths of seconds matter.

Riggs’s humble, soft-spoken demeanor belies her status as a World Champion Breakaway Roper.

She is known as the reigning champion of break-away roping throughout all of Indian Country.

Last year was her first time qualifying to compete in the Indian National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

“Anything can happen,” she said. “I mean, it looks easy but when those cows come out and you’re shooting to be fast to get a good catch on them, sometimes things don’t go right…but it went right for me.”

On her first run, Riggs secured the calf in a shock-ing 2.2 seconds. She won the competition outright on her third run with a time of 4.54 seconds.

Ten Gila River members competed in the 2013 CGID All-Indian Rodeo. Riggs was the only cowgirl this year but she’s hoping to get her seven-year-old niece into it before long.

On Feb. 16, the official opening of Cowboy & In-dian Days, GRIC D2 Councilmember Jewel Whit-man and Casa Grande Mayor Bob Jackson cut a ribbon on a new pavilion at the Casa Grande rodeo

grounds. The pavilion was dedicated in the honor of the Gila River Indian Community, who donated charitable funds to the municipality last year as a part of the Arizona State Shared Gaming Revenues program.

Dayton Whitman (D2) has been a cowboy all his life. At 80 years old, the O’odham elder was honored as the Grand Marshal of the Casa Grande Indian Days. He was celebrated in the Cowboy & Indian Days parade earlier that morning and received a spe-cial presentation in the rodeo arena.

“The 2013 Casa Grande Indian Days Rodeo is dedicated to Dayton Whitman,” proclaimed the rodeo announcer with pomp. “Dayton farmed, [ranched,] and worked as a foreman for the San Car-los Irrigation Project.”

The rodeo organizers praised him for being a com-munity leader and presented him with a cowboy belt buckle, saying, “He exemplifies the best qualities and traditions of the Indian Cowboy and we are hon-ored to dedicate this rodeo to him.”

Dayton’s son, Councilmember Jewel Whitman, accompanied him on a round about the arena before the crowd on Feb. 16.

Crow, along with many others, is glad that the In-dian rodeo is back. It has been a staple of the local community for decades. He continues, however, to look for ways to improve and grow the humble cel-ebration.

For one thing, the old title is important to him in bringing the festivities full circle.

“I want it back as ‘O’odham Tash,’” Crow said.

From Page 1

Salt River Construction company gives backSubmitted by Anne ThundercloudThundercloud PR

Mikhail Sundust/GRIN

The Casa Grande Indian Days Rodeo named GRIC District 2 Elder Dayton Whitman the Rodeo Grand Marshal. His son, Jewel Whit-man accompanied him in a round about the rodeo arena, Feb. 16.

Riggs, Whitman represent Gila River at the CGID All-Indian Rodeo

Mikhail Sundust/GRINIn hot pursuit of her calf, Bobbie Riggs grits her teeth atop her horse Mr. Ed. Riggs joined nine oth-ers from Gila River at the CGID Rodeo Feb. 15-17.

Photo courtesy of Anne Thundercloud

Mavid Construction’s work at the School of Human Ecology in-volved an historic restoration of the 75,000 square-foot building.


On a sunny afternoon at Check Station No. 11 near Blackwater, the Gila River Indian Commu-nity was ushering in the future by bringing back the past.

Paying homage to its ancestral agricultural roots, the Community celebrated a step toward revamp-ing its modern irrigation system and putting its hard-fought water rights to use. Gov. Gregory Men-doza and Lt. Gov. Stephen Lewis joined District 1 elders and others in hailing the re-dedication of the Southside Canal, part of the Pima-Maricopa Irrigation Project initia-tive to return full irrigation capac-ity to farm lands across GRIC.

“Here we’re standing in the shadows of one of our historic structures, the Casa Grande Ru-ins, where [our ancestors] con-structed these complex agricultur-al water systems that’s our shared heritage,” Lewis said. “We had lost that for so many years. Now we’re in the shadows of bringing this back to us.”

The 22.6-mile Southside Canal cost nearly $41 million and was designed by George Cairo Engi-neering. Over a period of 13 non-

consecutive years, five different contractors worked on separate parts of the project. A 96-inch, 4,900-foot siphon replaced the old McClellan Wash Siphon feed-ing into the newly lined concrete canal.

The new canal, which irrigates Gila River Farms from Check No. 11 to D5, speeds up water flow by more than 80 percent to 425 cubic feet per second. This will eventually allow water to move across the Community in a matter of hours when it sometimes took days.

“Today marks yet another in a series of steps in the rehabilitation and construction of the Communi-ty’s irrigation delivery system and our efforts to put our hard-earned settlement waters to beneficial use,” Mendoza said.

Starting on east of the Commu-nity, water from the Gila River and the Central Arizona Project feed into the Florence-Casa Grande Canal, which moves southwest and in turn feeds into the Pima Canal. The Southside Canal meets the Pima Canal at Check Station No. 11, a $2 million concrete structure, and moves along the southern border of the GRIC.

Cutting-edge gates made by

Rubicon, an Australian company, control water flow into the South-side Canal.

“We can pass the water through those gates and measure the flow at the same time, so we know ex-actly how much is going down-stream,” said David H. DeJong, Director of P-MIP. “The beauty of these Rubicon gates [is] we can take this water and move it down to the next pool in literally a cou-ple of minutes.”

The original Southside Canal was created as part of the historic battle to reclaim the Community’s use of Gila River water for agri-cultural. In 1924, the San Carlos Act authorized 50,000 acres of land to the Community for farm-ing purposes. But half of the farm-land had poor soil and high alka-line levels.

In exchange for these poor lands, the Community received 19,000 acres south of Sacaton and Casa Blanca. The Southside canal, completed in 1934, irrigated these lands at a total cost of $863,075, about 47 times less than the new canal.

With the updated canal and the return of water rights to the Com-

munity, water is again flowing through the Southside Canal.

“It’s one thing to have paper water rights, but it’s another thing to actually have wet water,” Lewis said.

Mendoza recalled how as a child his grandparents would tell him stories about the sacredness of the water and days when the Gila River flowed plentifully.

“They said that the water is the bloodline to who we are as a peo-ple,” Mendoza said. “They would share stories about the river and how beautiful it was for our peo-ple and how green it was.”

District 1 elder Paul Antone Sr.’s family history is tied to the Southside Canal. His father helped build the original in the ‘30s and tragically died on the job. Antone worked there as well, retiring after 26 years. He appreci-ated being able to witness the ca-nal’s re-dedication.

“I’m glad to see this happen in my lifetime,” Antone said.

For P-MIP, this is just a piece of the irrigation jigsaw puzzle it is solving to rehabilitate GRIC’s agricultural system. With approxi-mately $625 million of funding

remaining, construction on other canals across the Community will continue through 2030. The com-pleted system will be able to irri-gate 77,000 acres per year, more than double its current capability.

And future use may not be lim-ited to agriculture. The Communi-ty may decide to utilize the water for industrial or riparian use.

“There’s so much more out there that the Community can do with the water today,” said Hen-rietta Lopez, public involvement outreach specialist at P-MIP.

To conclude the re-dedication celebration, Lopez and DeJong presented Mendoza and Lewis with a metal sculpture made from reinforcing rebar from the old siphon that fed the Southside Canal. Four curved bars, meant to represent the flowing waters, meet in the middle to form a dia-mond. Done by Keith Adams, a welder with the Gila River Indian Irrigation Drainage District, the art piece serves as memento for the Community — a reminder of what’s past and a promise of what’s to come.

Revamping Gila River’s agricultural roots: P-MIP unveils Southside CanalBy Joshua JovanellyGila River Indian News

Mikhail Sundust/GRINLeft to right: Lt. Gov. Stephen Lewis, Gov. Gregory Mendoza, Hen-rietta Lopez, Dr. David DeJong. On behalf of P-MIP, DeJong and Lopez presented GRIC leaders with a commemorative art piece.

Mikhail Sundust/GRINFacing west, the Pima Canal divides in two at Check Station No. 11. The Southside Canal flows to the left, above. The 22.6-mile structure cost $41 million and will irrigate farms through District 5.


Tribal Education Department“Maschahamdud a Jeniktha”

Resume writing was in over-drive at Vechij Himdag Mashcha-makuD on Valentine’s Day as stu-dents polished their professional documents, practiced for inter-views and double-checked their professional clothing in prepara-tion for the big job fair at the new Phoenix Premium Outlets located in Wild Horse Pass Development that took place on Friday Feb. 15, 2013.

Students at Vechij Himdag are part of a Career and College Readiness program. Career and College Readiness partners with Work Investment Act, Gila River Employment and Training, Native Technology Solutions, Commu-nities In Schools and other tribal and non-tribal entities to provide students with School to Work experiences — with excellent re-sults.

“Our partnership with Employment and Training has helped so many students stay in school and apply their academics in the workplace,” said Christine Ollerton, Career and Technical teacher for Vechij Himdag

MashchamakuD. “We currently have five students placed through Workforce Investment in jobs around the Community and one student completing an internship with Native Technology Solutions. Employment and Training has scheduled five more students for orientation in March.”

Ollerton continued: “They have to apply those academic skills and it helps all of our students work harder when they know what the workplace demands.”

Students make the commit-ment to help themselves prepare: achieving their attendance goals; keeping up with their classes; maintaining a positive, profes-sional attitude and being drug free and sober — qualities employ-ers, in and out of the Community, value and look for in first-time employees. Students can earn up to three elective credits towards graduation in School to Work pro-grams.

“When Stephen Puhr, executive director of Pima Leasing and Fi-nancing Corporation, approached the school this fall about adding Junior Achievement,” Ollerton said, “it was the perfect addition to expand our program.”

Community member and Pima Leasing and Financing corpora-

tion business analyst, Sierra Ward comes to the school each Monday to co-teach with Ol-lerton a rigor-ous professional skills course called “You’re Hired!”, which was devel-oped by Junior Achievement . “Our goal is to inspire students to graduate from school ready for college or trades and to start them thinking about entrepreneurship as a way to achieve self-sufficien-cy for themselves and the Com-munity,” says Ward. JA’s course, focuses on workplace skills to get students prepared for what comes next.

Prior to the job fair Ward and Ollerton helped the students write cover letters and resumes and pre-pare for these first interviews.

Derek White, subsidiary man-ager with Native Technology Solutions, said, “A key success factor to building strong relation-ships is a philosophy that NTS

Gila Crossing Community School’s winter sports (girls’ softball & boys’ basketball) ended their regular seasons last week.Playoffs will begin on Tuesday. Unfortunately, girls’ softball did not qualify but boys’ basketball will enter the championships as the No. 1 seed.

Girls’ softball lost last Tuesday to the Stanfield Roadrunners. Pamela Cassa was the most valuable player (MVP). Boys’ basketball “A” team beat Stanfield 34-17 and remained undefeated.

Boys “A” team closed out its regular season last Thursday with an electrifying win against Toltec, who was undefeated. The Eagles ended the season with a perfect record of six wins and zero losses. “B” team lost 7-11. Xavier Howard was MVP with six points and three blocks. Congratulations to the rest of the “B” team for their great season.

“A” team won 24-14. MVPs were Matt Peters, Frankie Mendivil, Carlos Rios, Truman

Phillips, Hiawatha Polacca and Nathan Lafoon. All of these players stepped up and got the job done.

“A” team finishes the season as the No. 1 seed in the league. Let’s hope they win the championship.

Girls’ softball coach Mr. Dustan would like to thank everyone who came out to support the ladies’ team this season. He said there have never been so many supportive parents and GCCS staff members at our sporting events as there have been this year.

The team lost a close one Thursday 9-5, falling short in a last-inning rally. This marks the end of their season, but Dustan hopes to see us all at the next staff/student softball game in the coming weeks and again during the upcoming boys’ baseball and girls’ soccer season after Spring Break!

Offensive player of Thursday’s game was Marie Soriano. Defensive player of the game was Zerena Jenise who had a great catch to get the team out of the second inning. Season MVP is Ciarra Silvas, who greatly improved her pitching this year and recorded five strikeouts on Thursday.

Programs at VHM prepare kids for workforce

Exciting athletics season at GCCS comes to a close

Submitted by Lillian Kim FranklinPrincipal, Vechij Himdag Alternative School, Inc.

Kim Franklin/Vechij Himdag MashchamakudStudents from Vechij Himdag Alternative School dressed for success at the Phoenix Premium Outlets job fair held at the Sheraton Wildhorse Pass Resort.

Submitted by Gila Crossing Community School

utilizes local resources within our own Community, providing an opportunity for employment and/or training. By establishing a bond with local employment agencies, like the Tribal Em-ployment and Rights Office and school partnerships like the one at Vechij Himdag MashchamakuD, NTS is able to expand its labor force while providing a social-economic investment and devel-oping knowledgeable technicians to meet project demands. We have trained five students over the last three years and even offered op-portunities to learn media produc-tion to our students from Vechij Himdag.”

“And I want to give a shout out to the GRIC Early Head Start,” said Ollerton. “They really sup-ported the teen parents attending the job fair by doing some sched-ule changes to accommodate

those interviews. It is really about everyone working together.”

These programs are fundamen-tal to the mission of Vechij Him-dag: to develop well-educated, employable, citizens for Gila Riv-er Indian Community. Employ-ment and Training, Workforce Investment Act, Native Technol-ogy Solutions, Pima Leasing and Financing-Junior Achievement, Communities In Schools and Ear-ly Head Start all support moving young people to the next level — getting the job done!

Vechij Himdag Alternative School Inc. students will be competing later in the spring in a statewide Junior Achievement You’re Hired! Challenge where they will develop vital business skills such as interviewing tech-niques, resume writing, conflict resolution, problem solving and interpersonal communications.


Tribal Education Department“Maschahamdud a Jeniktha”

Welcome to your monthly up-date of Blackwater Community School. In January we celebrated our 100th day of school.

A celebration would not be a celebration without some fun ac-tivity. Ms. Knapp, the librarian, had 100 Hershey’s Kisses hidden around the library. The children had to search for the Kisses and put them on a graph of 100. They counted as the graph filled up. They calculated how many they found and how many more they would need to make 100.

Ms. Sulzer’s Character Counts Class had the students celebrate the 100th day by conducting a

couple of activities that promoted teamwork and sharing. First, stu-dents broke off into two groups where they each had to build a standing structure with 100 red Solo cups. This activity promot-ed team-building character traits, such as two-way communication, fairness, respect and responsibil-ity. Next, the students were paired off and received a pile of Fruit Loops to string 100 Fruit Loops onto their own strand of yarn. This activity helped the students improve their math skills as well as sharing.

With such an eventful day we can now look forward to what the rest of the school year has to offer.

Martin Barocio and Keven Jones have a knack for engineer-ing.

The pair of 8th graders from Sacaton Middle School teamed up last month on their science project. Together, they designed an artificial hand using string, straws and a latex glove. Barocio demonstrates his projects’ grip-ping power, astounding for its simplicity, by lifting and holding a cup with what he proudly calls “the Grip.”

More than 60 budding scien-tists and engineers participated in the Gila River Community Science Fair last month, hosted by Sacaton Middle School and sponsored by Gila River Sand & Gravel. Jo Ellen Kinneman, the 7th and 8th grade science teacher at Sacaton Middle School, was the principal organizer of the event, which drew students from Sacaton Elementary and Middle

Schools, Gila Crossing Commu-nity School, Blackwater Com-munity School and Ira Hayes High School.

The Gila River Community Science Fair got its start some 15 years ago. This year, there were 15 judges, including five Gila River Indian Community members. Miss Gila River, Talia Antone, volunteered to judge the first graders’ projects.

As usual, most judges were re-tired professional scientists and engineers. Ray Quackenbush built a career at Motorola in the mid 1980s. He has been judging school science fairs for over 30 years and is the superintendent of the Arizona State Science Fair. Quackenbush is an active judge, who prefers to engage the stu-dents at every opportunity.

“I enjoy interviewing the stu-dents as opposed to looking at the project and grading it from that because sometimes you can find out something from them that’s

Blackwater CS update

Students show off projects at Gila River Community Science FairBy Mikhail SundustGila River Indian News

Photo courtesy of Sacaton Middle SchoolWinning Sacaton Middle School students proudly hold up the medals they earned from their sci-ence projects at the annual Gila River Community Science Fair.

not on their board,” he said. Quackenbush has been judg-

ing at the Gila River Community Science Fair for many years and holds the program in high regard. He said, although the number of participants has diminished over time, the quality of the students’ work has improved. “It’s been a good experience – it always is

over here. You know, I can see improvement as the years go on.”

Students’ projects are grouped based on grade level and bro-ken into categories, such as mi-crobiology, biochemistry, earth sciences, health/medicine, etc., which provides nearly all par-ticipants a chance to place first, second or third.

The science fair affords stu-dents the opportunity to advance to greater challenges. Last year, Sacaton Middle School sent two students to Pittsburgh, Pa., for the Intel International Science & Engineering Fair. This year, ISEF will be in Phoenix.

Perhaps “the Grip” will make an appearance.

Submitted by Blackwater Community School


Community Council Action Sheets Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013ACTION SHEETCommunity Council; PO Box 2138; Sacaton, Arizona 85147; Phone (520) 562-9720; Fax (520) 562-9729INVOCATION Provided by Reverend Aaron JohnsPOSTING OF COL-ORS Posted by Haskell Osife Ameri-can Legion Post #51NATIONAL ANTHEM Preformed by St. Peters Indian Mission SchoolRECOGNITION OF GUESTS Presenter: Governor Gregory MendozaSTATE OF THE COMMUNITY ADDRESS Presenter: Governor Gregory MendozaGoveRNoR GReGoRy MeN-DOzA DELIVERED THE STATE of the CoMMuNIty Ad-dReSS(Reception in the Council Cham-bers Lobby)CALL TO ORDER The First Regular Monthly Meet-ing of the Community Council held Wednesday, February 6, 2013, in the Community Council Chambers at the Governance Center in Sacaton, Arizona was called to order by presid-ing Chairman Governor Gregory Mendoza at 10:06 a.m.INVOCATIONProvided by Councilwoman Brenda RobertsonROLL CALLSign-in Sheet CirculatedExecutive Officers Present: Governor Gregory MendozaLt. Governor Stephen R. Lewis Council Members Present:D1- Cynthia Antone, Arzie Hogg; D2-Jewel Whitman; D3- Myron G. Schurz, Dale G. Enos; D4-Monica Antone, Jennifer Allison, Barney Enos, Jr.; D5-Annette J. Stewart, Janice F. Stewart, Brenda Roberson, Franklin Pab-lo, Sr.; D6-Terrance B. Evans; D7- Martha MillerCouncil Members Absent:D4- Christopher Mendoza; D6- Anthony Villareal, Sr., Albert PabloAPPROVAL OF AGENDAAPPROVED AS AMENDEDREPORTS1. Overview Of TLOA Activities In 2010, 2011 And 2012 Presenters: Rebecca Hall, Tana Fitzpatrick, Claude Jackson, Mi-chael CarterREPORT HEARD2. American Legion, Haskell Osife Antone Post 51 District One (Blackwater) Operating Budget Control Presenter: David AndersonREPORT HEARD3. Great Bend of the Gila Nation-

al Monument – Congressman Raul Grijalva Proposed Legisla-tion Presenter: Barnaby V. LewisREPORT HEARD4. The Caring House Annual Re-port Presenters: Fernanda Reams, Mark KleinREPORT HEARD5. Judicial Branch Activities on Implementation of the Tribal Law and Order ActPresenter: Anthony HillREPORT HEARD6. Department of Rehabilitation and Supervision Juvenile divi-sion (PowerPoint Presentation) Presenter: Randy TracyREPORT HEARD7. Gila River Sand & Gravel FY12 Quarterly Report QTR 4 Presenters: Michael Morago, Bob GazisREPORT HEARD8. FY12 Indian Health Service Funding Agreement Audit Re-port (Executive Session) Pre-senter: Penni McCabeDISPENSED AT APPROVAL OF AGeNdAMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd FOR A 1-HOuR LuNCH BREAKRECONVENED AT 1:25PM; THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER BY THE COMMu-NITY COuNCIL SECRETARYMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd TO NOMINATE COuNCILMAN ARzIe hoGG AS the INteR-IM ChAIRMAN COuNCILMAN ARzIE HOGG PROCEEDED WITH THE MeetING AS ChAIRMANMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd to eNteR eXeCutIve SeS-SIoN9. Gaming Internal Audit De-partment - First Quarter Report October 1, 2012-December 31, 2012 (Executive Session) Presenter: Robert T. RussinREPORT HEARD IN EXECu-tIve SeSSIoNGoveRNoR GReGoRy MeN-dozA RetuRNed to the MEETING AT 1:36PM AND PROCEEDED TO CHAIR THE MeetING10. Gila River Gaming Enter-prises, Inc. Monthly Report No-vember 2012 & December 2012 (Executive Session) Presenters: John James, Board of DirectorsREPORT HEARD IN EXECu-tIve SeSSIoN11. Gila River Gaming Commis-sion General Report November and December 2012 & Decem-ber and January 2013 (Execu-tive Session)Presenters: Courtney Moyah, Serena JoaquinREPORT HEARD IN EXECu-tIve SeSSIoNMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd

to eXIt eXeCutIve SeS-SIoNRESOLUTIONS1. A Resolution Condemning Ten Home units Built under The Housing Act Of 1937 Located In Multiple Subdivisions Within the Gila River Indian Reserva-tion (G&MSC forwards to Coun-cil with recommendation for ap-proval) Presenter: Tina Notah-EnasAPPROVED2. A Resolution Of Consent To Grant A Liquor License To The Wild Horse Pass Development Authority for use At the Wild Horse Pass Resort, Whirlwind Golf Club And Spa, The Raw-hide Western town And Steak-house, Wild Horse Pass Chev-ron Located In The Wild Horse Pass Development Area And The Toka Sticks Golf Course (G&MSC forwards to Council with recommendation for ap-proval; EDSC concurs) Presenters: Perry Riggs, Dale GutensonAPPROVED3. A Resolution Approving And Authorizing An Agreement Be-tween the Gila River Indian Community And Fedell, Cheney & Burt, PLLC For Fiscal Year 2013 (G&MSC forwards to Council with recommendation for approval) Presenter: Linus EverlingAPPROVED4. A Resolution Approving And Ratifying An Intergovernmental Agreement Between The State of Arizona And the Gila River Indian Community Providing For Construction Of Additional Left Turn Lanes Along State Route 87 (G&MSC forwards to Coun-cil with recommendation for ap-proval, NRSC concurs) Presenter: Steven JohnsonAPPROVED5. A Resolution Approving The Native American Housing As-sistance And Self-Determination Act (“NAHASDA”) Housing Re-habilitation Policy For The Gila River Indian Community Depart-ment Of Community Housing (G&MSC forwards to Council with recommendation for ap-proval) Presenter: Tina Notah-EnasAPPROVED6. A Resolution Amending Reso-lution GR-76-12 To Extend The Effective Date Of the Interim Rental Rate Policy Of undevel-oped Agricultural Lands Within The Exterior Boundaries Of the Gila River Indian Reserva-tion until A Permanent General Agricultural Leasing Policy Is Established (NRSC forwards to Council with recommendation for approval)

Presenters: Agricultural Working GroupAPPROVED7. A Resolution Of The Gila Riv-er Indian Community Support-ing Congressional Legislation To Establish The Great Bend Of The Gila National Monument In The State of Arizona Introduced By Arizona District 3 Congress-man Raul M. Grijalva (NRSC forwards to Council with recom-mendation for approval) Presenter: Barnaby V. LewisAPPROVED8. A Resolution Certifying The Membership Count Of The Gila River Indian Community (LSC forwards to Council with recom-mendation to approve) Presenter: Jane Johnson-WoodyAPPROVEDORDINANCESUNFINISHED BUSINESS*1. Blackwater Trading Post Business Plan (G&MSC for-wards to Council with recom-mendation for approval) Presenter: Dale GutensonMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd TO DIRECT THE BLACKWA-TER TRADING POST BuSI-NESS PLAN FOR CONSIDER-ATION FOR FuNDING; AND the NeCeSSARy ASSoCIAt-ED FuNDING FOR THE PLAN-NING, CONSTRuCTION AND OP-eRAtIoN of A NeW CoNve-NIeNCe StoRe IN dIStRICt 1 TO BE RESuBMITTED THROuGH THE DEVELOP-MENT PROCESS[MotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd FOR A 10-MINuTE BREAKRECONVENED AT 3:13PM]MotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd TO DIRECT THE WILD HORSE PASS DEVELOPMENT Au-thoRIty to tAKe INto CoNSIdeRAtIoN ANd to PREPARE A LISTING OF RE-MAINING ASSETS AND BuSI-NESSES FOR COMMERCIAL COMMuNITY BENEFIT; THIS REVIEW WILL INCLuDE ALL PHYSICAL AND PROPRIE-tARy ASSetS ANd ACReAGe2. Gila River Health Care Corpo-ration Board Appointments (2) Presenters: Reviewing Commit-teeBONNIE LYONS AND EDITH POHL APPOINTED3. Ideas and Strategies for mov-ing forward with the Proposed Revised Criminal Code (LSC forwards to Council) Presenters: Office of the Gen-eral CounselMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd

Continued on next page, 19


Community Council Action Sheets Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013

foR OFFICE OF GENERAL COuNSEL CONDuCT ONE AD-DITIONAL PuBLIC HEARING FOR COMMuNITY MEMBERS DuRING WORK HOuRS; PuR-POSED REVISED CRIMINAL Code ANd the CuRReNt CRIMINAL CODE BE TRANS-MItted oN the GRIC IN-tRANet ANd CoMMuNIty’S WEBSITE (MYGILARIVER.COM; ADDITIONAL COPIES OF THE PROPOSED REVISED CRIMINAL CODE AND THE CuRRENT CRIMINAL CODE BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE dIStRICt SeRvICe CeN-TERS; CPAO WORK WITH OFFICE OF GENERAL COuN-SEL TO CREATE A PuBLIC SERVICE ABOuT THE TLOA AND THE PROPOSED RE-VISED CRIMINAL CODE; FOL-LOWING THE ADDITIONAL

PuBLIC HEARING AND DIS-TRIBuTION OF THE PRO-POSED REVISED CRIMINAL Code ANd CuRReNt CRIMI-NAL CODE, THE PROPOSED REVISED CRIMINAL CODE BE BROuGHT BACK TO LEGIS-LATIVE STANDING COMMIT-TEE (LSC) AND COMMuNITY COuNCIL FOR CONSIDER-ATION OF ENACTMENT (EX-CEPT ANY FELONY PROVI-SIONS); THE LSC CONTINuE TO MONITOR THE IMPLEMEN-tAtIoN ACtIvItIeS to eN-SuRe ReAdINeSSMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd foR AMeNdMeNtS WIthIN THE MOTION, TO CLARIFY THE CORRECT WEBSITE TO uTILIzE WILL BE (MYGILARIV-ER.COM); FOR FuRTHER CLARIFICATION CPAO HAS oveRSIGht of the GRIC IN-tRANetNEW BUSINESS1. Declaration of Vacancy Gila

River Gaming Commission (1) Seat Presenter: Linda AndrewsVACANCY DECLARED2. Confirmation of Citizens Advi-sory Board District 7 Representative Presenter: Linda AndrewsJOEY BIAKEDDY CONFIRMED3. Confirmation of Planning & zoning Commission District 1 Representative Presenter: Linda AndrewsWALLY JONES CoNfIRMed4. Request To utilize ITCA Funds For GRE2ATE Program (G&MSC forward to Council with recommendation of approval; ESC concurs) Presenter: Patricia ValenzuelaAPPROVED5. FCC Broadband Adoption Lifeline Pilot Program (G&MSC forward to Council with recom-mendation of approval; EDSC concurs) Presenters: GRTI Board of Di-

rectors, Bruce HoldridgeAPPROVED MINUTES1. September 5, 2012 (Regular)APPROVED2. October 3, 2012 (Regular)APPROVEDANNOUNCEMENTS>RequeSt foR INItIAtIve INfoRMAtIoN>RECOGNITION OF THE GILA RIveR toKA teAM>StRAteGIC WoRK SeS-SION, WILD HORSE PASS HO-TEL & CASINO FEBRuARY 8, 2013, 9AM>4 TRIBES MEETING FRIDAY, FEBRuARY 9, 2013, 9:00AM, ROuND HOuSE CAFé, SALT RIveR INdIAN CoMMuNItyADJOURNMENTMeetING AdJouRNed At 3:05PM* Denotes TABLED from previ-ous meeting(s)

Community Council Action Sheets continued from page 18

ACTION SHEETCommunity Council; PO Box 2138; Sacaton, Arizona 85147; Phone (520) 562-9720; Fax (520) 562-9729CALL TO ORDER The Second Regular Month-ly Meeting of the Community Council held Wednesday Febru-ary 20, 2013, in the Community Council Chambers at the Gover-nance Center in Sacaton, Arizo-na was called to order by presid-ing Chairman Governor Gregory Mendoza at 9:06 a.m.INVOCATIONProvided by Councilwoman An-nette J. StewartROLL CALLSign-In Sheet CirculatedExecutive Officers Present:Governor Gregory MendozaLt. Governor Stephen R. Lewis (9:30) Council Members Present:D1-Cynthia Antone, Arzie Hogg; D2-Jewel Whitman; D3-Myron G. Schurz, Dale G. Enos; D4-Monica Antone, Jennifer Allison, Christopher Mendoza, Barney Enos, Jr. (11:45); D5- Annette J. Stewart, Janice F. Stewart, , Franklin Pablo, Sr.; D6-Anthony Villareal, Sr., Albert Pablo, Ter-rance B. Evans (9:13); D7- Mar-tha Miller (9:13)Council Members Absent:D5- Brenda RobersonAPPROVAL OF AGENDAAPPROVED AS PRESENTEDINTRODUCTIONS1. Two Newly Hired Tribal Edu-cation Student Behavior Spe-cialists Presenter: Mario MolinaMR. MARIO MOLINA PRE-SENTED THE NEWLY HIRED

EMPLOYEES. GAIL ROW-SoN ANd JuANItA fRAN-CISCO PROVIDED A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THEIR BACK-GROuNDS.REPORTS1. Pee Posh Veterans Associa-tion first quarter Report for fy 2013 Presenter: Danny JenkinsREPORT HEARD2. Haskell-Osife-Antone Ameri-can Legion Post 51 Presenters: Haskell-Osife-Antone American Legion Post 51REPORT HEARD3. Gila River Telecommunica-tions fourth quarter Report 2012 update Presenters: GRTI Board of Di-rectorsREPORT HEARD4. Johnson O’Malley Program 1st Quarter Report for School Year 2012/2013 Presenter: Jeffrey ThornburgREPORT HEARDMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd to eNteR eXeCutIve SeS-SIoN5. January Monthly Financial Ac-tivity Report (Executive Session) Presenters: Robert G. Keller, Mike JacobsREPORT HEARD IN EXECu-tIve SeSSIoNMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd to eXIt eXeCutIve SeS-SIoN[MotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd FOR A 10 MINuTE BREAKRECONVENED AT 10:57AM]RESOLUTIONS1. A Resolution Approving A Clarifying Amendment To Reso-lution GR-159-12 Regarding The

Acquisition Of A Temporary Con-struction Easement For The Gila River Indian Community Depart-ment Of Public Works Project No. DPW 06-09 (G&MSC for-wards to Council with recom-mendation for approval; NRSC & EDSC concur) Presenters: Ron Rosier, Nathan R. YeighAPPROVED2. Resolution GR-160-12 Re-garding The Acquisition Of A Right Of Way Easement For The Gila River Indian Community De-partment Of Public Works Proj-ect No. DPW 06-09 (G&MSC forwards to Council with recom-mendation for approval; NRSC & EDSC concur) Presenters: Ron Rosier, Nathan R. YeighAPPROVEDA Resolution Approving A Ser-vice Line Agreement Between The Gila River Indian Community And Southwest Gas Corporation For The Natural Gas Pipeline To Serve The New Vee Quiva Hotel, and Casino (G&MSC forwards to Council with recommendation for approval; NRSC concurs) Presenter: Ron RosierAPPROVED4. A Resolution Rescinding Res-olution GR-04-13 And Approving Amendment No.1 To The Gila River Indian Community’s Em-ployee Policies And Procedures Reference Guide”, Adopted By Resolution GR-298-08, Amend-ing Section 1 Of The Employee Reference Guide To Amend The Sections Entitled “Employment Process” And “Transfer Policy” (G&MSC forwards to Council with recommendation for ap-

proval)Presenters: Thomas Murphy, terilynne KistoAPPROVED5. A Resolution Authorizing And directing The Reporting Of In-cidents Of Suicide Within The Boundaries Of The Reserva-tion to the Gila River health Care Corporation (H&SSC for-wards to Council with language amendments) Presenters: Bonita Lyons, Julie JimenezAPPROVED6. A Resolution Approving the Final Plat Of Sacaton Flats 2-1 Subdivision Located In District two of the Gila River Indian Reservation And Designated As Drawing No. 40212-0253B-FP-01 (NRSC forwards to Council with recommendation for ap-proval) Presenter: Pamela PasqualAPPROVED7. A Resolution Approving a Fifty (50) Year Homesite Assignment Agreement For Jason Robert Miles Located In District Four Of the Gila River Indian Reserva-tion And Designated As Draw-ing No. 30412-0474 (NRSC forwards to Council with recom-mendation for approval) Presenter: Pamela PasqualAPPROVED8. A Resolution Approving Modi-fication No. 31 To The Gila River Indian Community Capital Proj-ects Fund Budget for Fiscal Year 2013 Through 2017 (Executive Session) (G&MSC forwards to Council with recommendation for approval)



Presenter: Robert G. KellerAPPROVED9. A Resolution Approving Modi-fication No 1 To The Gila River Indian Community Operating Budget For Fiscal Year 2013 (Executive Session) (G&MSC forwards to Council with recom-mendation for approval) Presenter: Robert G. KellerAPPROVEDORDINANCES1. The Gila River Indian Com-munity Council Hereby Amends Ordinance GR-01-05 And En-acts The Amendment To Title

8, Chapter 4 Of The Gila River Indian Community Code (LSC forwards to Council with recom-mendation for approval) Presenter: Tana FitzpatrickAPPROVEDUNFINISHED BUSINESS1. Appointment of GRTI Board Member Presenters: Reviewing Commit-teeJOHN LEWIS APPOINTED2. Re-Announcement of GRTI Board Vacancy for 30 days Presenters: Reviewing Commit-teeMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd TO RE-ADVERTISE FOR 30-dAyS

MotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd to eNteR eXeCutIve SeSSIoN3. El Paso Right Of Way Sta-tus Report (Executive Session) (G&MSC forwards to Council in Executive Session; NRSC, ESC, CRSC & EDSC concur) Presenters: EPNG Negotiation TeamIteM dISCuSSed IN eXeCu-tIve SeSSIoNMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd to eXIt eXeCutIve SeSSIoNMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd TO APPROVE THE INITIAL POSITION AND RECOMMEN-DATIONS AS PRESENTED BY THE EL PASO NEGOTIATION teAM[MotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd FOR A 60-MINuTE LuNCH BREAKRECONVENED AT 1:25PM]MotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd to eNteR eXeCutIve SeS-SIoN4. update regarding Pangea De-velopment Co. LLC’s Proposed Development Project (Executive Session) (LSC forwards to Coun-cil under unfinished Business in Executive Session) Presenter: Ron RosierIteM dISCuSSed IN eXeCu-tIve SeSSIoNMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd to eXIt eXeCutIve SeSSIoNMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd TO NOT ACCEPT THE PRO-POSAL BY LENNAR RESI-DENTIAL DEVELOPMENT THROuGH PANGEA AND TO INFORM PANGEA THAT THE COMMuNITY WILL NOT MOVE foRWARd WIth ANy CoNSId-ERATIONS AS ALL REQuEST-ed INfoRMAtIoN WAS Not PROVIDED

NEW BUSINESS1. Declaration of Vacancy One (1) Community-At-Large Mem-ber Presenters: Standing Commit-tees• Government & Management Standing Committee • Health & Social Standing Committee• Natural Resources Standing Committee• Legislative Standing Commit-tee• Education Standing Commit-tee• Economic Development Standing Committee• Cultural Resources Standing CommitteeDECLARED2. Declaration of Vacancy GRTI Board of Directors Presenter: Linda AndrewsDECLARED3. Land Owners Initiative – Find-ings (LSC forwards to Council for discussion) Presenters: Linda Andrews, Na-dine SheldeMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd TO GO INTO A 15-MINuTE CAuCuSRECONVENED AT 3:54PMMotIoN MAde ANd SeC-OND TO NOT ACCEPT TO THE COMMuNITY COuNCIL THE INITIATIVE PETITION AND TO FORWARD THE PETITION MA-TERIALS TO THE GILA RIVER POLICE DEPARTMENT AND INTERNAL AuDIT TO DETER-MINE POSSIBLE CRIMINAL CONDuCT BASED ON THE CHIEF ELECTION JuDGE FINDINGS AND TO TAKE ALL

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Crossword Puzzle Solutions from Page 8

employed 59 youth and 20 col-lege interns.

Finally, Mendoza underscored Community projects like the Phoenix Premium Outlets and the Vee Quiva Casino and Hotel, both set to open this year. He promot-ed the successful negotiation of the new Valley Metro bus route, which stops at Vee Quiva Casino and the Gila River Health Care Clinic in District 6.

Mendoza urged Community members to communicate their needs constructively to the gov-ernment, while asking them to uphold their end of the bargain as well.

"Due to limited governmental resources and our membership's ongoing needs, it is not unreason-able to expect that all Community members may be called upon to do more with less," Mendoza said, "and that we all have to ad-just our expectations with respect to the role of responsible gov-ernment in providing needed re-sources and services to our tribal

membership."Looking ahead to 2013, Men-

doza spoke about the collabora-tive efforts his administration has made to work with the Commu-nity Council. In special off-site meetings, the workgroup has identified four "special interest areas" of focus for the coming year: housing, tribal social ser-vices, education and violence pre-vention.

"Though challenges remain, we are excited about the opportuni-ties that 2013 presents," Mendoza said. "There remain many op-portunities to continue to make progress toward providing homes for Community members; to truly reform our education system; to provide employment opportuni-ties to Community members who want to contribute positively to our growth and our expansion; to improve how we care for our chil-dren, youth and elders.

"We must, however, have the courage to continue to confront these challenges with hope and

a sense of self-reliance and self-sufficiency."

In closing, Mendoza said "it has been an honor for the Lt. Gov. and I to serve you this past year. As we continue to strive and make

changes and enact reforms in 2013, we ask the membership, the employees, the elders, the youth and the membership as a whole to continue to trust us as we con-tinue to promote transparency,

quality customer service and ac-countability."

The full text of his address is available on www.mygilariver.com and a video of the speech can be found at www.gilariver.org.

In his second annual State of the Community Address on Feb. 6, Gov. Gregory Mendoza recalled the successes of his first year in office and called upon Community members to do their part in 2013.

Mikhail Sundust/GRIN

Gov. Mendoza talks progress, communication, self-relianceFrom Page 1


March 2013

ACtIoN NeCeSSARy to IN-SuRE THE WELLBEING OF COMMuNITY MEMBERS AND foR the INveStIGAtoRS to RETuRN TO THE LEGISLATIVE StANdING CoMMIttee WIth-IN 30-DAYS FOR STATuS uP-DATE AND ANOTHER uPDATE AT 60-DAYS IF WARRANTEDMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd TO DIRECT THE FOLLOWING; FOR GILA RIVER POLICE DE-PARTMENT ACTING CHIEF E. ALAMEDA IS AuTHORIzED BY THE COMMuNITY COuN-CIL TO MAKE STATEMENTS to the MedIA IN CooRdINA-tIoN WIth the offICe of GENERAL COuNSEL, THE AD-MINISTRATION CPAO DIREC-toR ANd At the dIReCtIoN

of GoveRNoR MeNdozA4. GRE²ATE Gila River Early Educators Attaining Teaching for Excellence Evaluation/Research – ASu (ESC forwards to Coun-cil with recommendation for ap-proval) Presenter: Dr. Deborah Chad-wickAPPROVED5. Community Council Delega-tion: NCAI Executive Council Winter Session - Washington, DC. March 5-7, 2013 (GM&SC forwards to Council with recom-mendation for approval to utilize the CCSO delegation and dues line item) Presenters: Community CouncilAPPROVED6. Pima of Mexico Cultural Exchange Program Initiative (CRSC forwards to Council with recommendation to support) Presenter: Marshall Sunna

MotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd TO SuPPORT MR. SuNNA IN HIS PIMAS IN MEXICO CuL-TuRAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM INItIAtIve ANd to dIReCt the GoveRNoR to SIGN oN BEHALF OF THE COMMuNITY7. Yuman Language Family Sum-mit 2013 Sponsorship (CRSC forwards to Council with recom-mendation to support) Presenter: Cultural Resources CommitteeMotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd TO APPROVE A REQuEST foR doNAtIoN fRoM the GoveRNoR’S doNAtIoN LINE ITEM8. Request for Documentation from 3 Grant Schools within the Gila River Indian Community (Executive Session) (ESC for-wards to Council in Executive Session) Presenter: Mario Molina

MotIoN MAde ANd SeCoNd to RequeSt foR doCu-MeNtAtIoN fRoM 3 GRANt SCHOOLS WITHIN THE GILA RIveR INdIAN CoMMuNItyMINUTES1. November 21, 2012 (Regular)APPROVED WITH CORREC-tIoNS2. January 23, 2013 (Special)APPROVEDANNOUNCEMENTS>GILA RIVER WOMEN’S TOKA TEAM WON CHAMPIONSHIP>LEGISLATIVE STANDING COMMITTEE AND PLANNING & zoNING CoMMISSIoN Meet-ING FEBRuARY 21, 2013ADJOURNMENTMEETING ADJOURNED AT 4:22PM* Denotes TABLED from previ-ous meeting(s)


GRIC Committee Vacancies Serving on a board or committee is an excellent way to engage with fellow commu-nity members and contribute to the develop-ment and advancement of the Gila River In-dian Community. The Community Council Secretary’s Office would like to announce boardmember vacancies on the following committees:• The GRIC Cultural Resources Standing

Committee• The GRIC Natural Resources Standing

Committee• The GRIC Economic Development Stand-

ing Committee• The GRIC Education Standing Committee• The GRIC Government & Management

Standing Committee• The GRIC Health & Social Standing

Committee• The GRIC Legislative Standing Commit-

tee• Gila River Telecommunication, Inc. Board

of DirectorsThere is also an opening for the:• Gila River Gaming Commission Gaming

Commissioner Positions are open to enrolled mem-bers of the Gila River Indian Community only. For more information regarding each of the available seats, view the individual an-nouncements online at:www.mygilariver.com/boardvacancies

Announcements & Notices

Gila River Telecommunications, Inc.“Proudly serving the Gila River Indian Community since 1988”

Box 5015, 7065 West Allison Road, Chandler, Arizona 85226-5135 (520) 796-3333 • www.gilanet.net • fax (520)796-7534

GRTI will participate in the 2013 Mul-Chu-Tha Fair & Rodeo! Come see us in the parade and then hop over to our booth.

The GRTI booth will be taking surveys as well as raffling some awesome prizes!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Photos from GRTI at last year’s Mul-Chu-Tha

The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) has chosen GRTI to participate in a pilot program to offer broadband Internet service to low-income households at reduced rates for a limited period of time.

This program was created not only to promote Internet service to household’s who currently do not have it, but also to gather data to test how a Lifeline program for Internet service could be structured in the future, similar to the Lifeline phone service you currently participate in.

GRTI will be sending out letters to customers in the mail once you have been chosen to participate!

For more info contact GRTI at 520-796-3333

Disclaimer: You cannot currently have Internet service or have had Internet service in the past 60 days. Program is subject to change without notice.

• Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance

• Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8)

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food stamps or SNAP)

• Head start student in the home (income eligible)

• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

• Medicaid

• National School Lunch Program’s free lunch program

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or Tribal TANF

• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

• Have an annual income at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines:

Potential participants must qualify and show proof of participation in any of the following programs:

For each additional person in the home add $5,346 to income requirements.

Family Annual Income1 $15,0802 $20,4263 $25,7724 $31,1185 $36,464

R E G U L A R S E A S O N S C H E D U L EMembers of the Gila River Indian Community receive discounted tickets to select games throughout the season courtesy of Gila River Casinos. Visit www.wingilariver.com/dbacks for more information.

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