river runners commemorate the once mighty gila …gilariver.org/grin/dec08_grin.pdfduring this...

Vol. 11 No. 12 Sacaton, Arizona December 2008

It was a cold and

foggy morning, Nov. 29,

at the District 6 Service

Center, the day a group

of 15-20 Community

members participated in

the 2008 River Run.

The logistics of

the event mirrored the

day’s atmosphere, foggy

and unknown. Those

gathered knew they were

going to Casa Grande

Ruins but didn’t know ex-

actly how they were

going to get there. The

usual route for the River

Run begins in D7 and the

destination is the Casa

Grande Ruins.

This year’s run

began in D6 with a morn-

ing blessing from Mike

Tashquinth, a resident of

Komatke and local spiri-

tual leader. His bless-

ing included the use of

creosote, sage, and a

personal offering. After

the blessing, it was de-

cided that the runners

who were gathered out-

side the D6 Learning

center would run together

to the Shell Station where

long distance runners

would then take over.

The sun began to

rise and could be seen as

nothing more than a fiery,

orange dot behind the

early morning fog as the

runners began their trek.

The River Run

commemorates the river

that flowed through the

Gila River Indian Com-

munity and is regarded

as a spiritual run for the

participants, their fami-

lies, and the communities

they represent.

There are many

ways this run came about

but according to Adrian

Hendricks who spear-

headed the event, “The

route follows the run we

had to commemorate the

Revolt run.”

Throughout the years

Hendricks has had his

share of running through

all seven districts of the

Community, whether it be

for spiritual or endurance

purposes. “I first did it just

to see if I could make it

through the whole com-

munity. It wasn’t really a

spiritual thing,” Hendricks

said.

Eventually his

running began to have a

meaning which extended

to the Community as a

whole.

Giving presenta-

tions on the 1751 Pima

Revolts throughout the

Community he started to

run as a way to com-

memorate those events

that took place in O’od-

ham history. Eventually

that commemorative run

began to take on another

meaning.

It was Anthony

Gray, a song carrier and

Community member form

District 4, who brought to

light the idea of a run

commemorating the Gila

River. Gray had stated

that although he brought

fourth the idea, the run is

really for the Community.

He said a lot of commu-

nity members had told

him they had dreams and

aspirations of this run.

However, at the time no

one acted on it.

In 2005, with the

help of a few organizers

the first River Run took

place. A year later Gray

received a song about

River Runners commemorate the

once mighty Gila RiverDarius Blackwater Enos

GRIN Intern Reporter

The Tribal Constitutional

Reform Project (TCRP) Task Force

journeyed to the golden state of

California to visit tribal members

living in the Los Angeles and San

Francisco areas on December 6

and 7. As a part of the third phase

of the Project, the Task Force

made presentations to the Califor-

nia members.

The Task Force selected

Los Angeles and San Francisco

because of the high concentration

of tribal members currently living in

those areas. Approximately 70

tribal members attended the Los

Angeles presentation and 30 at-

tended the San Francisco presen-

CaliforniaCommunityMembers LearnAbout Constitu-tion ReformSubmitted by the TCRP

By Alia Maisonet

Public Information Officer

The Gila River Indian Com-

munity Council (Community Coun-

cil) voted unanimously to establish

per capita payments as an amount

equal to 11% of gaming revenue

and to make per capita payments

annually.

The votes occurred at a

December 11, 2008 special Com-

munity Council meeting in an effort

to move forward on the Revenue

Allocation Plan (RAP) which is re-

quired by the Indian Gaming Reg-

ulatory Act before per capita

payments can be made. The

Community Council made the de-

cision after deliberating in a closed

caucus for approximately an hour

and a half.

“This was not an easy de-

cision and we know we cannot

please everyone, it is our job to

keep the Tribes best interest in

Council mo-

tions 11% to

be allocated

for per capita

Gila River Indian NewsP.O. Box 459Sacaton, AZ 85247Change Service Requested

PRESORTED STAN-DARD

U.S. PostagePAID

Sacaton, AZPermit No. 25

See River Page 8

See TCRP Page 3

See Per Capita Page 2

Spiritual runners, commemorating the Gila River, enter Casa Grande Ruins. (GRIN Photo - Darius Enos)

Gila River Indian News December 2008

“My statement to LSC was this was the first General Electionwhere same day voter registration was used. We have usedsame day voter registration in other elections but this was a

first for a General Election.,” - John Giff, Community Council Secretary

Correction to article “Protests filed in election re-sults”, GRIN, Nov., Vol. 11, No. 11, Page 4.

mind” said Councilman Malcolm

Eschief. “We considered our eld-

ers, what little each one of us had

growing up; fetching water by

wagon, no plumbing and homes

with dirt floors, we took our youth

and what we will have for them in

the future into consideration.”

In all, four motions were

made at the meeting and included

that: 1) per capita payments will be

based on 11% of the gaming prof-

its; 2) per capita be given in annual

payments for 3-4 years, after

which payments may be made

quarterly if feasible; 3) the Com-

munity explore limiting member-

ship of adults who are enrolled in

other tribes, and 2) the team over-

seeing the RAP provide a status

report before Council at their next

regular council meeting.

According to sources the

motions by Community Council did

not come easy and were a result

of the 2008/2009 financial projec-

tions. The decision was appar-

ently based on the 13%-18% drop

in gaming revenue due to the na-

tion’s troubled economy. The drop

in gaming revenue not only im-

pacts per capita payments, but

may impact planned capital proj-

ects including hospitals, fire sta-

tions, homes, roads and

infrastructure being built through-

out the Community.

The first per capita pay-ment will be distributedonce the following steps

occur:

•The RAP Team finishes the

Plan and present it to Gover-

nor Rhodes

•Governor Rhodes concurs

with the proposed Plan

•The RAP Team presents the

Executive approved Plan to

the Gila River Community

Council

•Council approval of the Plan

•Forward to the Council ap-

proved Plan to the Department

of Interior-Bureau of Indian Af-

fairs for final review and ap-

proval (up to 90 days)

Per Capita from Page 1

Merry ChristmasChristmas Greetings to Friends, Families and Employees of the Gila River Indian Community,

I wish you well during this most revered of seasons which celebrates the birth of Christ. I con-tinue to hope and pray for strength, prosperity and unity for our Community and its mem-bers.

Thank you for your confidence in allowing me to continue our plans for our tribal govern-ment. As we move forward with my new administration we will continue to work togetherto overcome obstacles in our path. You have my assurance that the priority of our next ad-ministration is to continue to provide the highest level of services for our Community.

During this special holiday season I would like to thank all the Council Members, Elders andYouth who assist in shaping and forming our foundation for our present and future genera-tions. To the 2,200 tribal government employees who assist our Community members thank youfor your assertiveness, loyalty and dedication in making Gila River Indian Community’s goalsa reality.

And lastly, thank you for your prayers for health and recovery. Continue your prayers forhealth and prosperity for our Community and its members not only during this holiday seasonbut throughout the upcoming New Year.

Merry Christmas and good wishes.

William R. Rhodes, Governor

POSTPONEMENT OF TOWN HALL

MEETING

The Constitution Town Hall Meeting scheduled for

January 6, 2009 has been postponed.

The Town Hall will be conducted at a later date.

The TCRP will be participating

in Districts and

Urban Members Association meetings

early next year.

Please check for upcoming meeting dates,

and additional information

at www.gilariver.org/tcrp, in the

Gila River Indian News and

other public bulletins.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Please call (520) 562-9720 for more information.

December 2008 Gila River Indian News

Many great business ideas

never materialize due to lack of

funding or space to operate from,

but fortunately Gila River commu-

nity members will have an answer

to both these issues as the Eco-

nomic Development Department

begins their plans to renovate the

Sacaton Commercial Center.

The office building currently

houses the Sacaton Post Office and

MTO Smoke Shop while an aban-

doned bank office sits idle on the

east half of the building. Economic

Development is renovating the en-

tire building including relocating and

expanding the MTO Smoke Shop,

improving the interior of the post of-

fice and adding a drive through mail

drop on the outside, and turning the

abandoned bank space into busi-

ness offices or retail space for Gila

River’s talented entrepreneurs.

The project is now in the be-

ginning stages of renovation with

the Economic Development De-

partment eager to provide commu-

nity entrepreneurs with an

opportunity to operate their own

business in a familiar local setting.

The GRIC Entrepreneurship

Program offers micro business

loans from $500 to $25,000 and

small business loans from $25,000

to $150,000 to community members

who are in business already or who

desire to begin their own business.

According to David Jâcome,

Economic Development Planner,

“We have all this money for com-

munity members (to start a busi-

ness) but they have no office space

from which to operate their busi-

ness.”

That insight is the main in-

spiration for the redevelopment

project. Jâcome explained that it is

very easy to lease office space out-

side of the Community, but the Eco-

nomic Development Department

wants the monies loaned out to cir-

culate to other tribal businesses

within the Community and to create

more jobs.

One of the unique ways

they are approaching this project is

by utilizing “green” methods to keep

costs low. Casey Turgeon, Project

Manager/Tribal Projects Develop-

ment, who is spearheading the

green initiative says “What makes

our project green will be our use of

solar lighting for the parking lot as

well as natural lighting within the

building itself.” Turgeon admitted

the project won’t be seeking any of-

ficial certification in energy effi-

ciency but is looking into how they

can keep utility costs low.

The office space is being re-

ferred to as “incubator space”. It will

be a place where entrepreneurs can

generate their own money in their

own office space and grow their

business with the assistance of the

GRIC Entrepreneurship Program.

The purpose of creating incubator

space is to increase the success

rate of Community member owned

businesses by providing support

services throughout the critical first

stages of the business cycle.

These businesses will provide basic

services and products that are not

being provided at this time.

Four individual small offices

will be built consisting of between

230 sq. ft to 275 sq. ft. Proposed in

the office space is a small confer-

ence/training room containing a re-

frigerator sink and microwave along

with separate men and women’s

restrooms. Currently interest in

leasing office and retail space in-

clude a beauty salon, video store,

sign company, website services,

legal services, taxi shuttle, engi-

neering service, party supplies,

wedding photos, print shop, insur-

ance company, pest control, pave-

ment sweeper company and

sandwich shop.

Economic Development be-

lieves that the office space and the

loan program will bring in more

goods and services that Community

members normally get off reserva-

tion.

If you are interested in start-

ing a business and leasing space at

the Sacaton Commercial Center,

contact the David Jacome of the

Entrepreneurship Program of the

Economic Development Depart-

ment at 520.562.6138.

Gila River entrepreneurs will soon get office spaceDarius Blackwater Enos


The project team looks over blueprints for the Sacaton Commerial Center.(L to R) JD Wright, David Jacome, Mark Irby, John Wright and Casey Tur-geon.

tation.

Like the presentations

made in each District, Task Force

Chairman Anthony Hill gave the

California members the same pre-

sentations about the project and

the existing constitution and fol-

lowed with time for the audience to

ask questions.

Like many of the Arizona

members, the California Members

asked many questions regarding

the constitution’s membership re-

quirements. They also expressed

concern with the section of the

constitution that states that mem-

bership in the community is auto-

matically relinquished if one leaves

the reservation and remains away

for 20 years. Finally, the California

members also asked questions re-

garding the transfer of property

through probate.

In addition to the presenta-

tions on the constitution, tribal

members also heard presentations

from tribal representatives on per

capita distributions, water rights,

elections and enrollment. Mem-

bers also updated their records

with the enrollment and elections

departments, received new tribal

identification cards, and asked

questions about planned per capita

distributions.

The Task Force plans to

return to California after complet-

ing the first draft. For further infor-

mation on the project, please

contact Gerald Calnimptewa, Proj-

ect Manager at (520) 562-9757 or

[email protected]

Greg Mendoza andCheryl Pablo representedthe Gila River Indian Com-munity (GRIC) in present-ing three checks to the cityof Phoenix on Tues, Dec.2, at the Phoenix CityCouncil policy session.

The checks weregiven as part of Gila Riverʼs2008 distribution of IndianGaming Revenue desig-nated as local revenuesharing.

The Communityprovided portion of its an-nual 12 percent local rev-enue sharing contributionto the city, which will thenregrant the funds to St.Maryʼs Food Bank Alliance

and provide direct funds toseveral city programs.

A $100,000 grant,one year of a $300,000,three-year commitment byGRIC, was given to the al-liance for their EndingHunger, Changing LivesCapital Campaign.

The cityʼs Parksand Recreation Depart-ment received $125,000 forthe interior restoration ofthe Dining Hall Building atSteele Indian School Park,and the Phoenix FamilyAdvocacy Center received$25,837 for victim counsel-ing services.

GRIC Presents Revenue Sharing Checks to the City of Phoenix

GRIC Chief of Staff, Greg Mendoza (third from left) along with Cheryl Pablo (far left), an Administra-tor from the Office of Special Funding, present a check to officials from Phoenix Indian SchoolSteele Park along with members of the Phoenix City Council. (GRIN Photo - Mihio Manus)

TCRP from Page 1

Chairman Anthony Hill and team

members of the Tribal Constitu-

tion Reform Project sends a spe-

cial thank you to the staff at the

United American Indian Involve-

ment. Antonia Osife and Cheryl

Jackson, thank you for accom-

modating the TCRP during our

brief visit. Merry Christmas and

good wishes for 2009.

Komatke, D6- Kalka Park is a brand

new 10-acre recreation park nestled

in the foothills of the Estrella and

South Mountains.

On Sat, Nov. 15 the grand

opening of Kalka Park was met with

a constant stream of people who

milled throughout the day to kick-off

initiation of the Park.

Activities began at 7:00 a.m.

with a fun walk, followed by the rib-

bon cutting and day-long team com-

petitions in the areas of

skateboarding, basketball, baseball,

and sand pit volleyball games.

The evening special attrac-

tion was the greased pig competi-

tion. Winners of the young and adult

categories walked away with a

piglet and $100 cash. The night

closed out to the sounds of “Papago

Warriors Section C.”

The park was named Kalka

Park in homage of local family

members Billy and Becky Kalka.

These two individuals, now passed,

were highly gifted athletes, most no-

tably, in the sport of basketball.

Thoughts of these individuals on the

court evoke images of long-distance

hook shots to the sound of nothing

but net.

The late-Billy Kalka volun-

teer-coached the “Komatke Mus-

tangs” during 1967 –1974. As told

by one of the original bat boys and

star pitcher, Roland Salazar: “It is

really nice that this has gone up for

the kids in the community. We

played our games in the dirt. The

ground was hard. We got roughed

up a bit but we always knew Billy

had ice-cold sodas ready for us at

the end of the game.”

Thank you to D6 staff mem-

bers who were responsible for or-

ganizing the games and

entertainment. It was evident that

much care and consideration went

into planning the events of the day.

No doubt more good times will fol-

low as young and young at heart

make use of the ramada and play

areas.


Kalka Park Amenities:

Adult softball field

Youth ball field

Restroom/Concession stand

Skate park

Playground equipment with canopy

Five picnic ramadas

Five charcoal grills

Sand Volleyball pits

Two full-size basketball courts

Walking path

Ball field stadium lights

Sidewalk park lights

Water retention basin that doubles as play area

Parking lot

On-site equipment storage facility

Wilford Brown, Deputy Director of Tribal Projects, reports that D6 Kalka

Park project took eight months to complete and is the first of six recreational

construction projects slated for the upcoming year. Capital Projects received

full appropriations for the following:

D2 – Phase II expansion: adding concession stand/restrooms and ball field

lights

D3 – Renovation of the existing ball field

D4 – New ball field; multi-purpose recreation building

D5 – Renovation of the existing two ball fields and amenities

D7 – New ball field, multi-purpose building to include service center &

recreation facility

Plans have been in conception since 1998 with additional updates in 2004.

All designs have been completed by Arcore Group, Inc. and are presently so-

liciting construction bids.

Kalka Park opens up in D6

The Facts

Arizona Flu season usu-

ally begins in February or March.

With the amount of “winter visi-

tors” coming to Arizona, cases

can start sooner.

Do I really need to get

vaccinated? All people in the

usual high-risk groups should be

vaccinated: 50 years or older and

all children between 6 months old

and 18 years old. Additionally,

anyone who is at risk of compli-

cations or more likely to require

medical care.

•Pregnant women

•People with long term health

problems: diabetes, heart, lung,

liver, and kidney disease

•Asthma patients

•Anyone who lives with or cares

for people in high risk for in-

fluenza

Do you fit in one of these

categories? I bet you do.

•Health care providers

•Household contacts and care-

givers of children from

birth up to 5 years of age.

•Household contacts and care-

givers of people 50 years and

older, or anyone with medical

conditions that put them at higher

risk for severe complications from

influenza.

•People who provide essential

community services.

•People living in dormitories, cor-

rectional facilities, or

under other crowded conditions,

to prevent outbreaks.

Do you want to be the one

who gives the flu to someone

else? No.

PLEASE CALL YOUR LOCAL

HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR

DAYS AND TIMES AND GET

VACCINATED.

D 1+2 215- 5248

D-3 562-3723

D-4 418-2845

D- 5 315-3826

D- 6+7 550-2106

or Nancy Duffy @ 562-5100

Department of Public Health and

The Office of Public Health Pro-

tection and Response

Cheryl McDermott, BSN 562-

5125

Is it too late for me to get aflu shot? No.

Justus Benallie launces an ollie off the platform during his run at the

skateboarding contest held during Kalka Park’s grand opening. (GRIN

Photo - Mihio Manus)

By Jeri Thomas

GRIN Office Manager


The Gila River Prevention

Coalition (GRPC) meets regularly

every two weeks within the Gila

River Indian Community. The

meeting on December 2 was held

at the District 7 Service Center.

Chris Montano from District 1 is the

Chairman of the coalition and about

12 persons attended the meeting.

The focus of the coalition is to bring

the Gila River service providers to-

gether with Community members

and work towards a healthy Com-

munity.

The main item on the Coali-

tion agenda was the upcoming

Block Party in District 7 with a ten-

tative schedule for January 2009.

This event is to promote a family

event that is Alcohol-Drug-

Violence Free, and have a fun time

for everyone. Previously, a Block

Party was held in District 1 and was

a great success. There was enter-

tainment, games and food for about

the 300 attendees. Plan to attend

the next one, hopefully more in the

future for the Community.

The Prevention Coalition

teams members are looking for vol-

unteers to help coordinate and work

during the next Block Party. Raffle

items would be nice for donations,

which can be given to GRPC by

calling (520) 562-3321 ext 7031.

Hillary Cummings is the Coordina-

tor for the Coalition, messages can

be left for her at the Sacaton phone

extension. The GRPC is funded by

the “The Governor’s Office of Chil-

dren, Youth and Families.”

The next meeting will be

December 16 at the Sacaton Boys

& Girls Club which will be a

potluck. All meetings are from

10am to 12 noon, anyone is wel-

come to attend. Upcoming future

meetings are on January 6 at the

District 4 Service Center and Janu-

ary 20th at the District 5 Service

Center. This is a voluntary coalition

and support is needed to promote

the cause for a healthier commu-

nity.

There are many concerns

with the GRPC that are part of the

meeting discussions. A goal is to

assist the Community and the

schools with a better understanding

of how to deal with underage drink-

ing. The GRPC is hoping to find so-

lutions on how to better support the

schools, counselors and families of

Gila River Prevention CoalitionWorking to make a difference towards positive change in thecommunity

1. Explain the law is that drinking alcohol under 21 years of age is illegal.

2. Help your teen make good decisions about alcohol. Just say no.

3. Help your teens find ways to have fun without alcohol.

4. Do not give alcohol to your teens.

5. Do not let your youth go to parties where alcohol may be present.

6. Set clear rules about not drinking and enforce them consistently.

7. Help your teens avoid situations that involve alcohol.

8. Get your teens professional help if you’re worried about their involve-

ment with alcohol. Call the GRIC Dept of Human Services at (520)562-3356.

Suggestions: How To Help Your Teens MakeGood Decisions About Alcohol

Special to the GRINBy Jean M. Nahomni Mani

Congratulations to Ryan

Johnson on completing another

season of Varsity Football. Ryan

was on the varsity football team at

Corona Del Sol High School in

Tempe Arizona where he is a Sen-

ior. The season ended with a total

of three losses, in which they ad-

vanced to the 5A division playoffs.

His position was offensive strong

tackle and strong guard.

Ryan is the son of Pamela

and Dominic Johnson, brother of

Robin Johnson, and the grandson

of the late Carolyn and Dean Evans

with paternal grandparents, Charles

and Donna Johnson. Ryan is an

enrolled community member and

attended St. Peter’s Indian Mission

School in Bapchule, Az from 1st

through 8th grade, where he learned

to play soccer and basketball.

Due to Ryan’s excellent ac-

ademic record, he and two other

students’ were selected to attend

St. Bernard Preparatory High

School in Cullman, Alabama, which

is a Catholic Boarding School out-

side of Birmingham, Alabama.

Ryan was the only student to ac-

cept Sister Martha’s recommenda-

tion. He applied for admission, was

accepted and jumped at the oppor-

tunity to travel to parts unknown for

a young Pima boy.

At the age of 12, Ryan left

home, excelled academically, tried

out for football and was selected to

the varsity team, thus beginning his

football career. He traveled to far-

away games such as Tuscaloosa

and Tennessee which was a great

thrill and accomplishment for him.

Only lasting one year in Alabama,

Ryan then traveled to the Pacific

Northwest and begged his parents

to enroll him in an Indian Boarding

School to meet other Indian stu-

dents. Much to his parents chagrin,

they allowed him to apply to

Chemawa Indian School in Salem,

Oregon. He was accepted and

once again landed a position on the

varsity team. Ryan played each and

every game for the Chemawa

Braves for the next two years then

decided to return home to Sacaton.

Ryan is a very energetic

and talented young man and has

excelled academically in all his

studies. He hopes to continue his

education, possibly at the Univer-

sity of Arizona and might consider

playing for the Wildcats one day.

Once again, congratulations to

Ryan on a job well done and his

tenacity to keep up his good grades

and good work.

Gila River by bringing an aware-

ness of how to deal with underage

drinking.

Some items on the agenda

are a plan for language classes, a

video project about prevention, and

how to bring an awareness about

the Meth issues within the commu-

nity. Meth has plaqued all walks of

life and Gila River is one of them.

Discussion was how to bring this in-

formation to the community with a

media campaign, meetings, aware-

ness presentations and drug free

events.

All of the discussion items

are focused on prevention and how

to replace the alcohol-drug-

violence in a family and in the com-

munity with positive actions and

events. If you have any questions,

please contact the Gila River Pre-

vention Coalition at (520)562-3321

ext. 7031. Have a safe and happy

holiday.

Community Recognition


In my childhood years, I

remember I would go out with

my daddy to catch geese and

ducks as well as rabbits. There

was a method to my daddy’s

madness as to how he did this.

First of all, geese were

caught during the winter in a big

pond (vachk) north of Aji. This

pond was always full of water

but now it does not exist any-

more. It was a resting place for

geese and ducks on their jour-

ney south and would make all

kinds of noise quaking, cackling

and honking. We could hear

them from our house. My daddy

would build a blind by the water

before they arrived where we

would hide. Daddy would get a

small fish hook, put a kernel or

two of corn on it and throw it as

far as he could. We would sit

quietly and wait. Then he begins

to pull the string very slowly,

making sure the goose swal-

lowed the hook. He pulled it until

he could reach out and grab the

goose with his hands. Depend-

ing on how many we needed we

would repeat the “goose

catcher’ again. When one was

caught daddy wrapped the

goose in a wet burlap sack and

ties it up so it would not escape.

The goose would provide a very

delicious Christmas dinner.

Ducks were also caught

in the same way. We would

come home with five or six

ducks in the proverbial burlap

sack. When we got them home

daddy would clip their wings so

they could not fly away and

throw them in with the chickens.

The wings would eventually

grow back but they stayed and

acted just like chickens.

Daddy carried a coiled

barbed wire with him when we

went out for rabbits. The barbed

wire would be about six feet

long. When he spotted a rabbit

go into a hole he uncoiled the

wire and at one end made a

crank and slowly pushed the

wire down the hole, twisting it at

the same time until he heard the

rabbit begin to squeal. He pulled

the wire out real slow until the

rabbit was out. Its fur was

caught in the barbs of the wire.

If we caught more than one he

would put them into the burlap

sack to take home to put in the

rabbit hutches. These provided

dinner on special occasions.

I have often thought about

these days and how important

they were at that time in my life

and how my daddy always kept

food on the table. Many of our

ways have been pushed aside

by grocery and convience

stores with canned goods,

ready made bead and other

foods that were strange to us

then. They are still strange

today.

Animal CatchersEmmett S. White D5

Sixteen Gila River IndianCommunity Elders attended theNational Indian Council on Aging(NICOA) Conference in Tacoma,Washington on Sept. 6 - 9, 2008.

There were approximately2000 elders from across the UnitedStates, Alaska and Canada that at-tended the conference which isheld every three years at various lo-cations.

Ms. Phyllis Antone, GRICCommunity Elder serves on theNICOA thirteen member Board ofDirectors and was reelected toserve another term. Congratula-tions Phyllis!

The Pacific NorthwestTribes hosted the event this yearalong with a cultural evening anddinner at the Puyallup Tribeʼs ChiefLeschi School. There were manyactivities held around the localvicinity for all the elders to partici-

pate in. A traditional dress fashion

show luncheon was held at theConvention Center where GRICElder, Yolanda Elias, took part in.Ms. Elias wore a contemporaryPima dress and was met with ap-plause and whistles as she struttedacross the stage with other TribalElders as they fashioned their tradi-tional regalia and dress.

GRIC District Elders that at-tended were: Bertha Thomas (D1),Mary Thomas (D3), Phyllis Antone(D4), and Kenny Pablo, PhyllisMachukay, Eleanor Jackson, Bar-bara Grant, Yolanda Elias, JoyceRhodes, Rosella Bilagody, PatriciaWarbus, Jan Milda, Collette Soke,Gladys Alvarez, Pricilla Antone, InaNahee all from (D6). CommunityManagerʼs, Tina Notah-Enas andPamela Johnson also attended theconference.

GRIC Elders travel to Tacoma forNICOA

GRIC Elders

By Darius Blackwater Enos


Sacaton- They say it’s never

too late to enjoy yourself which

is exactly what Community eld-

ers did as they attended the

2008 Senior Prom held at the

Sacaton Boys and Girls Club.

Held on Fri, Nov. 14, the

Senior Prom was a concept

brought fourth by the Depart-

ment of Health Resource’s En-

vironmental Health Services

Injury Prevention Program to in-

form elderly on wellness issues

and allow them to have a night

of fun. Presentations were

given on topics such as elderly

driving safety, eye health, injury

prevention, foot health, and un-

derstanding prescription med-

ications.

In between presenta-

tions members of the Sacaton

Boys and Girls Club provided

entertainment.

After the presentations

the elderly were fed a thanks-

giving meal catered by Bill

Johnson’s Steak House. The

meal was followed by the main

attraction which was the Senior

Prom Dance. Kyyitan was the

band that had the elderly mov-

ing and grooving up until 8 p.m.

The Injury Prevention

programs would like to thank

the Boys and girls club for their

facility and entertainment, Eld-

erly Nutrition Services, the Ani-

mal Control Department, Gila

River Health Care Optometry

and Podiatry, AAA, the Gila

River Youth Council, IHS-

Tempe Office, and all those

who my have helped but were

not mentioned.

Community Seniors Enjoy Prom


Recently, the Gila River Public

Health Education division was se-

lected from thousands of submis-

sions around the world to

present to approxi-

mately 500 con-

f e r e n c e

participants

at the Na-

t i o n a l

A P H A

confer-

ence in

S a n

Diego .

P u b l i c

H e a l t h

E d u c a -

tors, Ervin

Juan and

James Tree,

presented a

poster entitled A New

Path to Diabetes Educa-

tion: Uniting Traditional Educa-

tional Approaches with Modern

Educational Approaches in Indian

Country, which was designed by

Christopher Lomahquahu, a local

community member and Health Ed-

ucator. The poster informed partic-

ipants to (1) Recognize three tradi-

tional and modern approaches to

providing diabetes education to an

entire community; (2) Describe the

positives and negatives to each ap-

proach; and (3) Develop an ed-

ucational outreach

plan for Indian

communities.

Ervin Juan

said “I re-

c e i v e d

g o o d

f e e d -

b a c k

from a

l o c a l

Califor-

n i a

t r i b a l

employee

who imple-

mented this

training for their

tribal Health Pro-

gram.” James Tree

stated “It was a great opportunity

to present on what our program is

doing and highlight the ongoing ef-

forts from all of our staff which in-

cludes Nancy Enos, Soyet Antone,

Devin Pablo, and Christopher Lom-

ahquahu.”

Gila River Public Healh Ed pres-

ents at APHA Conference

Submitted by Public HealthEducation Division

Christopher Lomahquahu, designer of the Public Health Education poster

On Dec. 13th, the Gila River

Raiders Cheer Team competed in

Orlando, Florida at the 2008 Amer-

ican Youth Football and Cheer Na-

tional Competition and came out 1st

place in the 11 and under Open Di-

vision category.

The team includes their

flyer, the cheerleader designated to

be thrown and caught, 5-year-old

Marissa Manuel D3, 8-year-old Do-

minique Morago D3, 9-year-old

Bianca Hernandez D3, 10-year-old

Zala Nish D4, 11-year-old Summer

Antone D4, 11-year-old April Jack-

son and their coach Jason Fran-

cisco.

The cheer team began as

part of the Gila River Youth Football

and Cheer organization which is a

chartered member of the Central

Arizona Youth Football League

(CAYFL) and a part of American

Youth Football. The CAYFL is com-

prised of 13 other chartered football

and cheer teams in the surrounding

cities such as Gilbert, Scottsdale,

and Cave Creek.

During the football season

they are known as the Gila River

Raiders Cheer team but because

they entered the national competi-

tion under the Open Division they

are also known as Gila River Elite.

Either way they represented the

Community, locally, regionally, and

nationally.

As the team made its way to

the national competition, they made

their mark in youth football history

by being the first Native American

team to compete in several compe-

titions along their way.

Their journey began Nov.

16th with the 1st annual CAYFL

Cheer Competition. There they

competed under the Pee-Wee divi-

sion and came out in 1st place. Ac-

cording to Manuel Leon, Gila River

Firefighter Captain and volunteer

for Gila River Youth Football and

Cheer, they were the only team to

utilize stunts which include tossing

and catching each other. In fact

event judges said “The Gila River

squad did the best job of incorpo-

rating all aspects of cheerleading in

their routine.”

Not only did they come out

in 1st place as a team but individu-

ally Jackson earned a 4th place

award in the Toe Touch competition,

Hernandez earned 2nd place for the

cartwheel competition, while

Manuel earned 4th place for the toe

touch and cartwheel competition.

From there the team went

on to San Diego, California Nov.

30th, to compete in the

Pacific/Mountain Regional Compe-

tition. Again history was made when

the first Native American cheer

team competed and came out in 1st

place in the Open Division cate-

gory. This earned them a spot in the

National Competition.

When asked about how

they felt about representing Gila

River and Indian country, Bianca

Hernandez, also know as Binki,

who seemed to be the most out-

spoken of the group said, “We

made history, we know that.”

For the most part the squad

is a typically rambunctious group of

girls who are full of energy and

eager to show off their cheer tal-

ents.

Weeks before the national

competition the squad performed

during a community council meet-

ing to receive deserved recognition

from the community and its leader-

ship.

On Dec. 13th the team com-

peted in the Open Division not only

representing Gila River but the

Central Arizona Football League,

and the Pacific and Mountain Re-

gions. Gila River Elite was the only

cheer team to represent states west

of Texas.

Gila River Cheer teambring home titleBy Darius Blackwater Enos


Gila River Raiders Cheer team strut their stuff for the Community Council

during a scheduled meeting. (Photo Courtesy of Jaime Jackson)


the river in a dream.

As the long distance runners

took over from the D6 Shell station,

the sun slowly began rising over the

fog and shinning a little brighter. For

the majority of the run the group de-

cided to avoid major roads but for

timing purposes it was necessary to

run along Belt Line Road.

As they neared the village of

Lone Butte the sun was shinning

brighter and the fog began to re-

cede further into the background of

the D6 landscape.

There are many runs that

take place within the community

that are regarded as spiritual runs.

There is the international run called

the Peace and Dignity Run, which

begins in Alaska and ends in Mex-

ico City and the more local Unity run

which usually begins in a Southern

village in the Tohno O’odham Nation

and ends in Salt River or vice versa.

Both these runs journey through the

community. What is unique about

the River Run is that it is organized

by the Community and takes place

solely within Community bound-

aries, with the exception of going

through Casa Grande.

This year the run took on a

totally grassroots effort and did not

seek support from any of the tribal

departments. “We didn’t want to in-

volve the tribe because there was

too much negative stuff going on.

And we didn’t want to deal with hi-

erarchy or paperwork. That’s not

us.” Explained Hendricks

The runners ran past Lone

Butte and the Tho Thak Ki Treat-

ment center eventually making it to

the intersection of Maricopa Road

and Beltline. From there they took a

dirt road near the southeastern cor-

ner of the intersection and began

traveling south. Along the dirt road,

shards of pottery dotted the desert

floor beneath the brush. It was ob-

vious the old excavated village of

Snake Town was near.

One of the benefits of par-

ticipating in the River Run is getting

to see parts of the community one

might not see just driving through.

“We run in places that are kind of

hard to get to so people are forced

to see a new part of our commu-

nity,” Hendricks said.

Eventually the runners

made it to D5 where a light lunch

had been provided for them. A cou-

ple of the long distance runners had

to leave so the mile runners were

used more at this point. The sun

was shinning bright above the small

camp as they took a break for lunch.

It was clear and the fog had drifted

away as they gained ground on

their destination.

After lunch runners were

placed a mile a part relay style.

Once a runner was done with their

leg of the run they would be picked

up and placed ahead of the last run-

ner who was waiting for their turn to

run. The run proceeded this way up

through D3 where a handful of sup-

port cars and trucks waited for the

runners to reach Veterans Memorial

Park. Once there Hendricks carried

the run from the park to the dirt

roads of D2.

From there the sun began

its track along the western sky and

the shadows of the standing cacti in

D2 started stretching towards the

east. When the run arrived in D1,

drivers and organizers worried that

they wouldn’t make it to the ruins

before they closed.

According to community

lore, running has been a traditional

way for O’odham to pray for thou-

sands of years. It was also a way to

get news to the different villages.

Some of the ceremonies that took

place required a male to run to the

ocean for salt and make the journey

back home within 4 days.

In these modern times it is

not hard to wonder why any one

would attempt to run in the same

manner our ancestors did. Hen-

dricks said, ”People in our history

have sacrificed their existence to

have this ability to run, to have this

land, to sing our songs, to have

these sacred place. Running is a

big part of our culture and so if peo-

ple aren’t participating in our culture

they are failing our ancestors.”

When asked how the com-

munity benefits from the run Hen-

dricks said “We will have more

people becoming comfortable with

the fact that our collective strength

and spirituality can take us a long

way.”

The sun hovered above the

now distant Estrella Mountains as

the runners made their way through

D1 into Casa Grande. At the en-

trance to the ruins the group met up

and ran in together. Ruins officials

were not aware Casa Grande ruins

or Civan Vah-ki, meaning house of

magic, would be the ending desti-

nation of their run.

The sun began to tuck itself

underneath the western horizon as

participants expressed how proud

and surprised how far they ran. One

of the support drivers mentioned

how proud it made him feel to see

his 5 year old son keep up with the

adult runners.

With the Casa Grande

Ruins in the background partici-

pants learned about their signifi-

cance to the Akimel O’odham

culture.

Participating in the run in-

cluded members of the Gila River

Runners Club, patients from the

Tho Thak Ki Treatment Center,

members of the Akimel O’od-

ham/Pee-Posh Youth Council, and

members of the Tohno O’odham

Nation.

River Run from Page 1

Runners carry commemorative run past the Thoak tha ki Rehabilitation

Center in D6. (GRIN Photo - Darius Enos)


SAN CARLOS, Ariz. – More than

80 patrol and narcotics officers

from more than a two dozen tribal,

state and local agencies attended

training hosted by the San Carlos

Apache Police Department in San

Carlos. The training seminar was

a product of an ongoing partner-

ship by the U.S. Attorney’s Office,

the Arizona High Intensity Drug

Trafficking Area (HIDTA) South-

west Meth & Chemicals Initiative,

the Arizona Department of Public

Safety and the U.S. Drug Enforce-

ment Administration.

U.S. Attorney Diane J. Hume-

tewa said “Now more than ever we

in law enforcement must take a co-

ordinated approach to fighting the

drug trafficking that has spread

into our rural Arizona

communities. This training is part

of an on-going effort to build on the

resources of tribal, state, federal

and local police agencies to turn

this trend around.” “I want to

thank Chairman Wendsler Nosie,

Sr. of the San Carlos Apache

Tribe, for hosting this training and

showing leadership on this impor-

tant issue, as well as the many law

enforcement agencies who took

part.”

The goal of this training work-

shop is to empower agencies lo-

cated in remote areas and tribal

lands to address the trade in dan-

gerous drugs such as metham-

phetamine known to transit

Arizona highways in large quanti-

ties on their way to destinations

throughout the United States. An-

other goal of the training workshop

is to increase the coordination and

information sharing among these

agencies. The course provides in-

formation on federal and state

drug laws, drug recognition, and

domestic interdiction and K-9 use,

traffic stops and search warrants.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and

HIDTA Southwest Program organ-

ized similar training workshops last

June in Holbrook and on the Col-

orado River Indian Tribes Reserva-

tion in Parker last August.

Chairman Wendsler Nosie,

Sr., of the San Carlos Apache

tribe, stated: “The dependency of

drugs and substance abuse is an

ongoing problem in our communi-

ties and the negative impact it has

on our families is atrocious. We

must not let up in our efforts to ed-

ucate about the dangers of drugs,

prevent the use of drugs and pe-

nalize those that are introducing

drugs to our families and commu-

nities. I want to thank the Honor-

able Diane Humetewa, United

States Attorney in Arizona, and Ari-

zona HIDTA, who made this con-

ference a reality.”

Terry Azbill, Director of the

Arizona Region of the Southwest

Border HIDTA, commented:

“Through appropriate professional

training for our officers across the

state of Arizona, law enforcement

can do its part in combating the

drug problem, especially in rural

Arizona. The Arizona HIDTA Re-

gion is delighted to participate in

the training, so necessary to the

drug problem in Arizona and

across the United States.”

Seminar in San Carlos unites agencies against drug trafficking

San Carlos training focuses on tribal lands and remote high-ways in Arizona

GILA RIVER POLICE DEPARTMENT

MONTHLY MANAGEMENT DATA

MONTH October YEAR: 2008 PREPARED BY: Denna L. Domingo

CRIMINAL DATA

ASSAULT - OFFENSES REPORT -19.60% 23.90%

-31% 16.10%

FORGERY - OFFENSES REPORTED -100% -68%

-100% -83.30%

CRIMINAL - OFFENSES REPORTED 27.90% -11.60%

63.60% 3.70%

WEAPONS - OFFENSES REPORTED -18% 10.70%

-44.40% -20.40%

SEXUAL - OFFENSES REPORTED -57% 35.80%

CONDUCT ARRESTS MADE

W/CHILDREN 100% -50%

D.U.I. - OFFENSES REPORTED 15.70% -6.60%

15.70% -6.60%

LIQUOR - OFFENSES REPORT 25% 1.00%

LAWS ARRESTS MADE 18% -10.80%

DISORDER. OFFENSES REPORT -41.30% 19%

CONDUCT ARRESTS MADE Same 2%

CHILD - OFFENSES REPORTED 54.50% 12.30%

ABUSE ARRESTS MADE 100% -45%

ARPA - OFFENSES REPORTED Same Same

VIOLATIONS ARRESTS MADE Same Same

CURFEW - OFFENSES REPORTED 100% 66.60%

ARRESTS MADE 100% 50%

DRUG - OFFENSES REPORTED -62.50% 9.60%

OFFENSES ARRESTS MADE -25% -11%

ALL OTHER - OFFENSES REPORTED -13.90% 29.30%

OFFENSES ARRESTS MADE -27.10% 22.20%

YEAR TO DATE PRIOR YEAR

49 61 480

%

(No weapons) ARRESTS MADE

ARRESTS MADE

176

25

6

365

CURRENT MONTH LAST MONTH %

DAMAGE ARRESTS MADE

20 29 210

0 3 8

0 1 1

43 31 363 411

11 4 54 52

ARRESTS MADE 5

9 11

9

65 58

39 49

3 7 39 25

1 0 2 4

ARRESTS MADE

19 16 113 121

19 16 113 121

12 9 92 91

11 9 99 111

17 29 152 123

14 14 104 102

11 5 65 57

2 0 6 11

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

1 0 12 4

2 0 16

3

8

8 124 112

3 4 89 100

1,3751,946194167

118 162 1,431 1,113

CRIMINAL DATA CURRENT MONTH LAST MONTH % YEAR TO DATE PRIOR YEAR %

+ OR - TO DATE + OR -

HOMICIDE - OFFENSES REPORT 1 1 Same 7 4 42%

ARRESTS MADE 0 0 Same 2 1 50%

RAPE - OFFENSES REPORTED 1 3 -67% 16 18 -11%

ARRESTS MADE 0 0 Same 0 2 -100%

ASSAULT - OFFENSES REPORTED 19 6 68% 104 127 -18.10%

(Weapons) ARRESTS MADE 7 6 14.20% 54 67 -19.40%

ROBBERY - OFFENSES REPORT 1 0 100% 7 11 -36.30%

ARRESTS MADE 0 0 Same 2 2 Same

BURGLARY-OFFENSES REPORT 6 8 -25.00% 79 102 -22.50%

ARRESTS MADE 5 2 60% 13 12 7.60%

THEFT - OFFENSES REPORTED 22 19 13.60% 301 226 24.90%

ARRESTS MADE 2 3 -33% 14 10 29%

MV THEFT-OFFENSES REPORTED 16 10 37.50% 97 179 -46%

ARRESTS MADE 0 0 Same 9 28 -68%

TOTALS - OFFENSES REPORTED 400 421 -4.90% 4,112 3,431 16.50%

ARRESTS MADE 222 259 -14% 2,260 1,975 12.60%

ARREST / DETENTION DATA CURRENT MONTH LAST MONTH % AR TO DAT PRIOR YEAR %

+ OR - + OR -

ADULTS - FELONY 1 5 -80% 40 36 10%

MISDEMEANOR 181 200 -9.50% 1,812 1,482 18.20%

TOTAL ADULT 182 205 -11.20% 1,852 1,497 19.10%

JUVENILES - FELONY 0 0 Same 0 4 -100%

MISDEMEANOR 40 54 -25.90% 408 438 -6.80%

TOTAL JUVENILE 40 54 -25.90% 408 442 -7.60%

Attention:TV Antenna Users (Rabbit Ear)February 17, 2008 TV goes digital.

Public Service AnnouncementSponsored by Gila River Telecommunications, Inc.

7065 W. Allison Road, Box 5015, Chandler, Arizona 85226

On February 17, 2009, your Television signal will change from analog to digital. The DTV transition will not affect those who have either satellite, cable or a digital TV.

This will affect you television viewing if you use an antenna (rabbit ears) on your TV. To receive and view your local broadcasting stations, you will need to purchase a converter box. A converter box will be needed for every television if you plan to use them at the same time.

The Federal government offers the TV Converter Box Coupon Program. It provides up to two $40 coupons per household to help pay the cost of a converter box. Print out an application from www.dtv2009.gov

The coupons expire 90 days after they are mailed. Coupons cannot be replaced if lost, stolen or expired. Open all your mail since the coupons can easily be mistaken as “junk mail”.

program. The broadcasting changes were approved by the Federal Communications Commission. To troubleshoot your converter box please refer to the user manual provided by the manufacturer.

vice APublic Ser

Announcement

Spo

706

Attention:TV Antenna Us

y 17, 2bruareF

er Ty Gila Rived bonsor

x 50oad, Bo. Allison R65 W

abbit Ear)s (Rseroes dig2008 TV g

elecommunications, InT

izona 8522, Ar5, Chandler1

ital.

c.

26

ebFOnvisioeleT

anom fratrV TD

whosetcable o

will This )

oury2009,,77,1y uarbrhangecwillsignal on

al.digito tnalog Theectfaft nowillansition e,ellitsather eitevhawho

. Val Tr a digit

wvievisioneletouyectfafiTVT

(enna antan use ouyif ingdbl lid

abbit (rti

onears) ations,st

willx bohe saat t

edFThe amogrPrpahelp

om fr ww

ane eceivro T. VTour ynhascpurotneed willouy,

eltyerveorfneeded be lame time.

ersfofnment ervgoalderotwo tup vides oprItm. ertervcona of costhe ty

v.dtv2009.goww

oadcbrlocal our ywvied conA x.boer tervcona seuseo tplan ou yif visionle

CxBoer tervConVThe thousehpercoupons $40

applianout int Prx.bor

casting ertervn

hemte

oupono thold

ication

couThe btcanno

hesince t

y,

afysp da90expirp euponsolenstlost,p if eplacedrbey be e coupons can easil

obrTheam.ogrprCalederFhety b

ourytoubleshootr

pCoy . mailedeary hetert

edxpireor ouyall Open. en as “junk mail”.akmist

ape erwhangescoadcasting CommissioCommunications

erefrpleasexboertervconr

poupons mail ur

ed voppro Ton.

hetotr

ourytoubleshootrvouser manual pr

erefrpleasexboer tervconr.eracturhe manufy tvided b

heto tr

Seven District Master Plans The Gila River Indian Community is at a critical point in its history. The Seven Districts Master Plans project is a planning process to develop master plans for each of the seven Districts in the Gila River Indian Community. This process, grounded in an intensive visioning process, will carefully craft individual community plans which suit the needs and priorities of each district and the community as a whole. Combined, these master plans will be used as the foundation for a land use plan for the entire Community. Why is it important? Due to the significant economic growth in and surrounding Gila River Indian Community, it is important for each District to determine its future, make decisions about community and economic development matters, and allocate precious resources (i.e., land and water). It is a community-driven process. Your involvement is important and there will be many different opportunities to be involved over the next year. What is the process & what will the Plan address? The project will address multiple elements, including:

Housing Transportation Jobs Infrastructure Recreation Public Facilities Community Services Borderlands & Urban Interface

Successful Initiation Kick off the project and understand District and Gila River Indian Community issues and opportunities.

Building a Strong Foundation Developing a clear “snapshot” of where the District is today in terms of land and environment.

Creating a Shared Vision Working with Community members to creating a vision for the future.

Determining a Preferred Future Outlining strategies to achieve the District’s vision, identifying community needs and priorities, and creating a Draft Plan for residents to review.

Setting the Plan In Motion Developing an implementation plan to ensure that Community Members desires are achieved resulting in a review and adoption of a District Master Plan.

Your input is critical to the success of the Seven Districts

Master Plan

For more information contact your

District Coordinator

Project Contacts Errol Blackwater GRIC (520) 562-6004 Peggy Fiandaca PSA - Consultant (480) 816-1811

Things to Think About How do you perceive the future for your District and the Community as a whole? What is most important to you about your Community? How do land, water, and other resources play a role in the future? What role does agriculture play in our future? What kind of community services, such as healthcare, housing, and education, do we desire?


It was a brisk, Saturday morning,

December 15, 2007 when partici-

pants of the annual Winter Bird

Count gathered at three staging lo-

cations throughout the Community

to identify and record the birds of

the Community.

The Winter Bird Count has

become an annual outing in the

Community since 1999. The De-

partment of Environmental Quality

(DEQ) along with volunteers from

the Audubon Society join together

in identifying and recording the

number and species of birds within

the Community boundary. Every

year DEQ invites all Community

members out to participate in the

count.

Birds are most active in the

early morning; therefore all of the

activities normally take place at

this time. Each year many familiar

faces return to enjoy bird watching

at its best.

This information collected

provides a record of bird diversity

and quantity for current and future

reference. For children and adults

alike, the Bird Count provides an

introduction to utilizing field equip-

ment, learning field and observa-

tion techniques and understanding

the vital role of wildlife, particularly

birds to the Community and the

O’odham/Pee Posh culture. The

enjoyment by far however, is ob-

serving birds in their natural setting

and enjoying the outdoors for the

day.

Last year, seven field sites

were counted for a total count of

4,667 birds with an estimated 60

participants volunteering. The bird

count is an opportunity to see

many birds in a short period of

time; many up close with your

binoculars. Some of the past sight-

ings include a Bald Eagle at the

Pee Posh Wetlands site, a Merlin

at the 960 Sump site, and a Ver-

million Flycatcher at the

Resort/Wastewater Treatment

Pond site.

After the field counting ac-

tivities, a luncheon is provided

wherein guest speakers share sto-

ries about the cultural significance

of birds to the Community and cul-

tural presentations accompany the

bird tallies from each site/location.

Cultural presenters for the

2007 event were Tim Terry from

District 2 and Brenda Robertson

from District 5. At the luncheon,

Mr. Terry sang O’odham songs and

told stories about different birds.

Councilwoman Robertson trans-

lated bird names from English to

O’odham and told O’odham stories

of some common community birds.

D6 Councilman, Anthony

Villareal spoke about growing up

listening to bird songs and learning

about birds, then went on to sing

with the Bird Singers. Event partic-

ipants can count on culturally en-

riching bird songs, dances, and

stories from members of the Com-

munity.

This year’s event, the 2008

Winter Bird Count took place on

Sat, Dec. 6, 2008. Participants

met at the Arts and Crafts building

in District 5, the District 6 Service

Center, and the District 7 Service

Center (under construction).

The largest staging area is

typically District 5, wherein people

gather for coffee, hot cocoa, nutri-

tional snacks and bottled water

provided by the DEQ to energize

volunteers for the day. Partici-

pants in the bird count are given

field binoculars and/or scopes and

bird identification books. The par-

ticipants are then organized into

teams and assisted with field

counting by DEQ staff and Com-

munity and Audubon volunteers.

Annual Bird Count provides underlying cultural relevance

Tim Terry, D2, shares songs withparticipants in the ʻ07 Bird Count.

D5 Councilwoman, Brenda Robertson translates bird names from Englishto Oʼodham for the crowd.

Submitted by theDepartment of EnvironmentalQuality


What does the holiday season mean to you? Is

it a special time for family gatherings, gift-

shopping, and spiritual renewal, or a time of

out-of-control blood glucose levels, extra

pounds, and stress from trying to create the per-

fect celebration? If you’re like the typical

American, your holiday experience is probably

a combination of both.

When you have diabetes, it’s important to main-

tain your good health while enjoying holidays

and special occasions, as well as coping with

the stress that often accompanies them. The

easiest way to do that is to plan ahead. The

more you know about where you’re going and

what you’ll be doing, the better you can plan for

good diabetes care.

Eat, drink, and be wary

Food is one of the greatest pleasures in life, par-

ticularly when it’s shared with others, and it

tends to play a major role in most holiday cele-

brations. However, contrary to the popular be-

lief that a person gains 5-10 pounds between

Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, research

shows that the average person gains only about

one pound each holiday season. But that pound

often stays on after the holidays are over, so

eventually a person may gain 5, 10, or even

“20” pounds.

The holidays are probably not the best time to

attempt a serious weight-loss program, but it is

realistic to set a goal of maintaining your

weight and blood glucose control during the

holiday season. Here are some tips to help you

get started:

•Make your holiday recipes healthier by reduc-ing their fat and sugar content.•Bring a healthy dish to holiday get-togethers.•Plan for parties. Having a small snack beforea party will take the edge off your hunger.•Limit alcoholic beverages. Alcohol containscalories and sometimes carbohydrates, depend-ing on your choice of drink.

On, Prancer and Dancer!

Staying physically active during the holiday

season can relieve your stress, improve your

mood, lower your blood glucose levels, and

help with weight control. While your busy hol-

iday schedule may not allow you to participate

in as much daily physical activity as you might

like, there are ways to stay active, and these tips

can help:

•Encourage active holiday events.•Park farther away from the mall entrance.Use the store’s stairs, not the escalator. Arriveat the mall early and speed walk around themall.•If it’s impossible for you to find a block of 30minutes each day for physical activity, splityour activity into two 15 minute blocks.•Find something to laugh about. Laughing is agreat tension reliever.

Keeping spirits bright

Overscheduling, overdoing, overspending holi-

day preparations often lead to stress. Stress can

affect blood sugar levels. The stress of overdo-

ing and overscheduling may lead you to neglect

your self-care plan. The body also reacts to

stress by producing hormones that cause the

liver to release a surge of glucose, leading to

high blood glucose levels. On the other hand, if

you are too busy to eat properly, your blood

glucose can drop too low.

What tips should you have in your holiday

stress survival kit to avoid fluctuations in blood

glucose? Here are a few of them:

•Schedule time for self-care. Regular exerciseand time for stress management are a must.•Use a pedometer to track your steps. Be sureto check and record you blood glucose results.•Taking a few deep, slow breaths goes a longway toward helping your body unwind andclearing your mind.•Put yourself in “time out” for a few momentseach day. Just 5-15 minutes of sitting quietly orstretching out on your bed will do wonders foryour mood.•Knowing your spending limits will also relieveholiday stress. Gifts are meant to be symbols ofaffection; they don’t necessarily have to be ex-pensive.

What’s your reason for the season?

Focus on your reason for the season. Is it the

decorations, the spiritual aspects, the music, or

the time spent with family and friends? Perhaps

this is the year you start a new tradition, such as

serving a holiday meal to those less fortunate.

Do something you’ve never done before. With

a bit of planning and attention, diabetes won’t

stand in the way of your finding the true spirit

of the holidays.

From Diabetes Self Management Magazine

Maintaining Your Health During the Holidays

Submitted By Cynthia Antone,

Social Research and Program Development

Gila River Health Resource Department


ADVANCE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE I S HERE BY GIVEN, that the Gila Rive r Indian Community (G RIC) Planning and Zoning

Comm ission will hold a public hearing to cons ider proposed development to th e Gila River Arts and Crafts

Building and Site in District Five.

PROPOSED ARTS AND CRAFTS REVI TALIZATION PROJECT (#PZ-06-08)

DATE: January 10, 2009

TIME: 9am to Noon

LOCATION: Casa Blanca Middle School Gym

All interested persons a nd surrounding landow ners are invited. If you have a ny questions, please contact

Land Use Planning and Zoning at (520) 562-6005. Thank you.

ADVANCE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

NOTICE I S HEREBY GIVEN, that the Gila River Indian Community Planning and Zoni ng

Commissi on will hold a public hearing to cons ider WHPDA annexation and rezoning of 270

acres of Tribal land from Agricultural to Commerci al locat ed in District Four on:

Wild Horse P ass Devel opment Authority Annexation and Rezoning of 270 Acres

(#PZ-07-08 )

DATE: December 27, 2 009

TIME: 9am to Noon

LOCATION: Anthony B. Shelde Building

WHPDA Land Rezoning Request

All interested persons are invited to be p resent and heard thereon or present co mments in

writing to the Planning and Zoning Comm ission PO Box E, Sacaton, Arizona, 85247, or fax

to (520) 562-6030, by January 3, 2009 . If you have any questions , please contact Land Us e

Planning and Zoning at (520) 562-6005. Thank you .

The Association of Ameri-can Indian Physicians (AAIP) isnow accepting applications forthe 12th Annual Patty Iron CloudNational Native American YouthInitiative (NNAYI) which will beheld in Washington D.C., June 20- 28, 2009. AmericanIndian/Alaska Native (AI/AN)high school students, ages 16-18, who have an interest in thehealth careers and/or biomedicalresearch are encouraged toapply. The NNAYI scholarshippays for travel, lodging, and mostmeals during the program.NNAYI’s curriculum is strategi-cally designed to prepare stu-dents for admission to collegeand professional schools, as wellas for careers in health and bio-medical research.

To accompany the stu-dents, AAIP is accepting applica-tions for counselors, age 21 andolder, to serve as role models andchaperones to a select group offive high school students. AI/ANmedical and health professionalstudents are encouraged toapply. AAIP will cover travel, lodg-ing, meals, as well as provide astipend upon completion of theprogram. Counselors will be ex-pected to arrive in WashingtonD.C. 1-2 days prior to programdates.

Feel free to share this in-formation with other interestedparties. Deadline for student ap-plication is April 17, 2009 and forcounselor application is March 6,2009. For more information andto access the on-line application,visit the NNAYIwebsite: www.aaip.org/pro-grams/nnayi/nnayi.htm

Education Announce-ment/Opportunity

*****NOTICE*****

The Legislative Standing Committee will consider a revision to the Animal Ordi-

nance at its January 28, 2009 regular meeting at 1:00 p.m., Conference Room A,

Community Council Secretary’s Office, Governance Center, Sacaton, Arizona. Com-

munity members may comment on the proposed ordinance at the Legislative Stand-

ing Committee meeting. Copies of the proposed revision have been posted at all

District Service Centers. For more information please contact Yvonne Lewis at the

Law Office (520) 562-9760.

TITLE 16

CHAPTER 7

ANIMAL ORDINANCE

Enacted by Ordinance GR- -08

AUTHORITY; PURPOSE; APPLICABILITY

Authority. The Community enacts this Animal Ordinance under its inherent civil,

legislative, and regulatory authority. The Gila River Indian Community Constitution

and Bylaws (March 17, 1960) were adopted for the common welfare of the Com-

munity and to provide structure for the Community to enact ordinances governing

conduct within the exterior boundaries of the Reservation.

Purpose. The purposes of the Animal Ordinance are to prevent and control the

spread of zoonotic diseases (dangerous, potentially fatal diseases including rabies

that can be spread from Domestic Animals to humans), to establish and enforce stan-

dards for sanitation and safety, to prevent the cruelty and neglect of Animals, and to

preserve the Public’s peace, health and safety.

Applicability. This Ordinance shall apply to all Animals within the exterior bound-

aries of the Reservation, except for those dogs utilized by the Gila River Indian Com-

munity Police Department. Dogs utilized by the Gila River Indian Community

Police Department shall be subject only to Section 16.705 of this Ordinance.

Effective Date. This Ordinance shall be effective ________________, 2008.

DEFINITIONS

“Abandoned Animal” means any Animal left without provision of care or control

by the owner thereof.

“Animal” means any living animal, including Domestic Animals, but does not in-

clude Livestock.

“Animal Control Officer” means any person designated by the Animal Control Pro-

gram to enforce this Ordinance.

“Animal Control Program” means the program responsible for enforcement of this

Ordinance.

“At Large” means any dog that is on or off the premises of its owner and is neither

confined by an enclosure nor physically restrained by any leash or tether.

“Community Council” means the Gila River Indian Community Council.

“Compendium” means Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control.

The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, Inc. (NASPHV) has

developed recommendations to serve as a basis for animal rabies prevention and

control programs throughout the United States and facilitate standardization of pro-

cedures among jurisdictions. This document is reviewed annually and revised as

necessary. However, where any conflict exists between the Compendium and the

laws of the Community, the Compendium’s recommendations do not supersede any

Community laws or regulations.

“Court” means the Gila River Indian Community Court.

A copy of this proposed ordinance in its entirety is on file and available for re-

view at all District Service Center Co-ordinators’ offices and the Community

Secretary’s office.

William R. Rhodes, Governor

Jennifer Allison-Ray, Lt. Governor

Gila River Indian CommunityP.O. Box 97, Sacaton, AZ 85247520.562.9500 www.gric.nsn.us

Arthur Felder, Tribal Treasurer John Giff, Community Council Secretary

LETTERS POLICY: GRIN welcomesletters and columns from readers. Let-ters should be limited to 200 wordsand be in good taste. Material thatcould be libelous or slanderous is notacceptable. All letters or columnsshould be signed with the writerʼs truename, address and telephone numberin the event GRIN may need to contactthe writer. Only the name of the writerwill be printed in the paper. Letters orcolumns without a complete signature,name, address or phone number willnot be acceptable to GRIN for publica-tion. GRIN reserves the right to editsubmitted materials for grammar,spelling and content.

Write to:Editor, GRINP.O. Box 459

Sacaton, AZ 85247

Published letters or columns do notnecessarily reflect the opinion of the

editor or Gila River Indian Community.

District #1: Arzie HoggAugustine Enos

District #2: Jewell Whitman

District #3: Rodney JacksonMyron Schurz

District #4: Malcom EschiefRebecca RoweDarrell GerlaughJohn Antone

District #5: Brenda RobertsonCecil LewisFrank Pablo, Sr.Delane Enos

District #6: Anthony VillarealAlbert PabloTerrance B Evans

District #7: Devin Redbird

Material published in the Gila River Indian News may not be reproduced inany form without consent from the Gila River Indian Community.

Gila River Indian News

MIHIO [email protected]

GRIN Managing Editor(520)562-9718JERI THOMAS

[email protected] Office Manager

(520)562-9717GINA GOODMAN

[email protected]

(520)562-9715DARIUS BLACKWATER ENOS

[email protected] Reporter/Liaison

(520)562-9716

Fax: (520)562-9712Email: [email protected]/news


For three days in Novem-

ber, Gila River Health Care (GRHC)

underwent an in-depth survey by

the Joint Commission on Accredita-

tion of Healthcare Organizations

(JCAHO) to ensure that GRHC

standards met required national

standards for the accreditation of

healthcare facilities.

Founded in 1951, the Joint

Commission is dedicated to contin-

uously improve the safety and qual-

ity of the nation’s health care

through a voluntary—and very strin-

gent—accreditation review

process. Standards created, main-

tained, and mandated by the Joint

Commission require such rigorous

preparation as well as meticulous

adherence that the Joint Commis-

sion often leaves facilities surveyed

for accreditation less than satisfied.

JCAHO, however, left GRHC mar-

veling.

Regarding the provision of

quality care to the Community, Dar-

lene Christiansen, Executive Direc-

tor of the Joint Commission

Accreditation Program, said,

“Above all, the national standards

are intended to stimulate continu-

ous, systematic, and organization-

wide improvement in an

organization’s performance and the

outcomes of care.” Christiansen

also said, “The Gila River Indian

Community should be proud that

Gila River Health Care is focusing

on the most challenging goal – to

continuously raise quality and

safety to higher levels.”

The Joint Commission Sur-

veyors—Nelson Sirlin, M.D., and

Mark A. Trudzinski, Certified

Healthcare Facilities Manager

(CHFM)—complimented GRHC

staff not only on the organization’s

passion for patient care but also on

their commitment to provide quality

care on an ongoing basis. Dr. Sir-

lin stated, “Take the time to cele-

brate and be proud. This

organization has accomplished a

great survey.... It is easy to see the

high quality of care that takes place

here.”

This survey was the third

and final in a series of regulatory

surveys conducted in the second

half of this year. The first survey oc-

curred in June, 2008, resulting in

JCAHO’s full accreditation of the

GRHC Laboratory. In September,

2008, the Centers for Medicaid and

Medicare (CMS) conducted the

second survey—a full survey of

GRHC. During the survey, CMS

became aware of an item of notice

to which GRHC then presented a

plan of action for remedy. CMS ac-

cepted this plan.

Gail Shannon, GRHC Di-

rector of Organizational Perform-

ance, lead the way to ensure that

all GRHC staff was well-prepared

for the final survey in November,

2008. By e-mailing staff each day

till JCAHO arrived, Gail provided

recommendations for GRHC staff to

give them the help to best prepare

for the survey – all of which were

simply reminders of what staff

should already know and be doing

on a daily basis. Ms. Shannon, Dr.

Noel Habib (Chief Medical Officer),

Marcy Hamblin (Interim Chief Nurs-

ing Officer), and Sarah Wolterman

(Risk and Quality Manager) accom-

panied lead surveyor, Nelson Sirlin,

M.D., as he surveyed the hospital

and clinic in Sacaton and the clinic

in Gila Crossing.

Throughout the first day, Dr.

Sirlin quizzed GRHC staff on

processes and systems in their

specific areas of assignment. Dr.

Leonard Sanders demonstrated to

Dr. Sirlin the recently installed elec-

tronic health record (EHR) system,

which greatly enhances medical di-

agnosis and patient safety via ac-

curacy of record keeping. In the

Credentialing Department with

Susan George, Dr. Sirlin focused

on medical staff documentation and

credentialing when he conducted

an in-depth review of medical staff

files. During the survey at the Gila

Crossing Clinic, the Joint Commis-

sion performed an intense review of

patient identification and patient

rights with the lab technicians.

Dr. Sirlin had discussions

with staff on items such as medica-

tion management, provision of care,

infection control, human resource

preparation, environmental land-

scape and safety measures, emer-

gency management, National

Patient Safety Goals, leadership,

and governance of the organiza-

tion. Interviews were also con-

ducted emphasizing the standards

for information management which

included information technology

and health information manage-

ment and performance improve-

ment.

On the third day of the sur-

vey, Clayton Harvey (Facilities

Manager) and Pam Thompson

(Chief Operations Officer) accom-

panied engineer surveyor Mark

Trudzinski, CHFM. As he was con-

ducting the building tour, Mr.

Trudzinski, an experienced sur-

veyor of over 100 healthcare facili-

ties and hospitals in the areas of

environment of care and emer-

gency management, told GRHC

staff, “You do an awesome job here.

What we look for is a culture of

safety, and you clearly have one

here.”

Dr. Sirlin has been with the

Joint Commission ten years and

has surveyed numerous American

Indian hospitals and clinics. In clos-

ing remarks, the two surveyors

praised the organization for its com-

mitment to providing quality care on

an ongoing basis. Dr. Sirlin de-

clared, “It is essential that a safe,

quality-driven organization hire,

support and retain only the very

best staff that not only share the

GRHC gets JCAHO accreditationwith flying colors

In Accordance of the Gila River Enrollment Ordinance, GR-02-05, section 8.102, (B),

Enrollment Office: Duties and Responsibilities of the Enrollment Office Staff, (5) Keep

correct and complete records of enrollment files. The Enrollment/Census Department is

requesting for Tribal Members to update their enrolment record every time there’s a

change of residency, name change, or legal guardianship etc…

Please submit the following information to our office as soon as possible:

• Current Mailing Address

• Marriage Certificate

• Divorce Decree

• Legal Name Change Court Orders

• Amended Birth Certificate

• Current Legal Guardianship Court Orders

• Social Security Card

• Certified Death Certificate

For update or records information or any questions or concerns regarding your records

please contact Enrollment/Census Department at 520-562-9790.

***Enrollment Department will no longer be Providing copies of Personal documents

such as Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, Court Documents, Marriage Licenses,

Baptismal records etc…***

“Have you updated with Enrollment/Census

Department yet?”

puupouyeav“HHa

eytnemttmpareepD

mllmlllorEnhtthwid etteda

?”te

susnCe//Ctt/nem

ccAnI

mlolnrE

tcerorc

tsqueer

ngehaanc

rveiRaliGhetofencdaanor

RandseiutD:eciffifffOOfntem

ofdsrocereteplommpcand t

ngit otsrbemeMlbairTorffo

nghacemnaamyncdeiserofe

,encanndirOntemlolrnnrE GR

onrEhetthofseitilbiiponssspe

roef .seliffintemlolnr T rnnrEhe

rntemlonrerihetetupdaato

ephinsaandirguarlgaelorge

GR-02- B((B102,8.onitces05,

eKKe5)((5ff,afffSteciffifffOOfntemlol

emtrpaareDusnseC/ntemlolr

as’erhetemityrveed orcer

cte

,)BB)

peepe

sinte

a

ngehaanc

esaelP

•

•

•

•

•

•

nghacemnaamy,ncdeiserofe

onffoingiowlolffohettiubms

sseddrAngiliaMnterurC

etaatciffiitreCgeairraarM

eerceDecvoriD

ouCngehaanCemaamNlgaeL

taatciffiitreChtriBdndeemA

hnsaandiruaarGlgaeLnterurC

ephinsaandirguarlgaelor,ge

ssaeciffiofffouroton itamorrm o

srderOtur

et

srderOtourCphi

…cte

:eblispossaoon

•

•

•

updorF

esaepl

nr***E

sahucs

itB

hnsaandiruaarGlgaeLnterurC

draarCytiurceSlaiocS

taatciffiitreChtaateDdeiffiitreC

itaatmornffoidsorcerroetdaat o

unseC/ntemlolnrEtcaontc

lliwntemtrpaareDntemlolr

htriBs laiocS,setaatciffiitreC

***tdl

srderOtourCphi

et

onccoronsitsquenyaanoron

205tatntemtrpareDus -562-

berongelno ocngdiovirP

Cy tiurceSl tourC,dsraar oD

orcerryouurng dirgarernsrec

-9790.

ofseopi neumdoclonasreP

neciLgeairraarM,snteumoc

dsr

snt

,sens

msiptaapB

…***ctedsorcerlam

commitment of the organization but

are also active participants…. Take

the time to celebrate and be proud.

This organization has accom-

plished a great survey, and it is

easy to see the caring that takes

place here. The most important fac-

tor is the people who make it hap-

pen each and every day. My

question is, ‘Where do you find

these good people?’ ”

Though two minor recom-

mendations for improvement were

noted by the Joint Commission and

immediately corrected by staff, the

surveyors had no recommenda-

tions that required formal correc-

tion, a feat the surveyors were

quick to point out. “This is the best

report I have ever experienced in

my ten years as a surveyor,” stated

Dr. Sirlin. “This community is in-

credibly lucky to have an organiza-

tion like this. They need to know

that you have been measured with

the same standards used to meas-

ure Harvard and Yale and the likes.

You need to be sure that your com-

munity knows that you measure up.

I’ve surveyed a lot of Indian facili-

ties, but I had no idea a place like

this existed.”

Both surveyors were highly

pleased with the performance of

Gila River Health Care and gave

accolades for its performance, doc-

umented processes and safe care

as measured by the Joint Commis-

sion and CMS standards. GRHC’s

CEO Hugh Collins spoke of his

pride in staff whose commitment

made the difference. To celebrate,

an ice cream social was held a few

days after the strenuous three-day

survey and was truly enjoyed by all.

Gila River Health Care and

the Gila River Health Care logo are

trademarks of the Gila River Health

Care Corporation which is owned

and operated by the Gila River In-

dian Community located in Saca-

ton, AZ. Please contact Louis

Baca, Public Relations Manager, at

520-562-3321 ext. 1199 for further

information.

Edwardine Dowling

Gila Rivers connection to

Avon!

Interesting new items

Always plenty sales! Questions, orders call

me at (520)418-3401 or visit www.youravon.com/edowling

of Sales!!

Gila River Telecommunications, Inc. Box 5015, 7065 West Allison Road, Chandler, Arizona 85226-5135

(520) 796-3333 • www.gilanet.net • fax: (520)796-7534GRTI is an Equal Opportunity Employer

On February 17, 2009, your Television signal will change from analog to digital. The DTV transition will not affect those who have either satellite, cable or a digital TV.

This will affect you television viewing if you use an antenna (rabbit ears) on your TV. In order for you to receive and view your local broadcasting stations, you will need to purchase a converter box. A converter box will be needed for every television if you plan to use them at the same time.

The Federal government is offering US households up to two $40 coupons to help pay for the cost of a converter box. Print out an application from

The broadcasting changes were approved by the Federal Communications Commission.

Are you ready for the DTV Transition?