vol. 11 no. 9 sacaton, arizona sept. 29 - oct. 2, …gilariver.org/grin/sept08grin.pdftv, a computer...

Vol. 11 No. 9 Sacaton, Arizona Sept. 29 - Oct. 2, 2008

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

PRESORTED STAN-DARD

U.S. PostagePAID

Sacaton, AZPermit No. 25

By Mihio ManusGRIN Managing Editor

Sacaton - Adam Beach went before

Council on Wed, Aug. 20, with a

business proposal to develop Little

Big Productions, a movie produc-

tion company that would tell stories

from Native America. Beach, along

with his partner Andreas Kidess,

expressed to Council that they feel

Gila River is a prime location for

this endeavor.

Lars Sylvest, who is the

third partner along with Beach and

Kidess, was not present at the

meeting due to a prior engage-

ment.

Before the proposal was

put on the Council agenda, it had

gone through the Economic Devel-

opment Standing Committee

(EDSC). The EDSC recom-

mended that Council have a third

party review and due diligence of

an executive summary of the ex-

pansion plan. The EDSC also rec-

ommended to have the Law Office

prepare a resolution for Council au-

thorization that would be presented

to Council for further consideration.

In his proposal to Council,

Beach said that Little Big Produc-

tions would produce, develop and

sell movies with a Native American

spirit. However, that wouldn’t be

the only market the company would

target. He said they would also ac-

Little Big Productions could finda home in Gila River

Little Big Page 2

Golden Globe nominated actor, Adam Beach addressed Councilwith a proposal to develop a movie production company here on theCommunity. (GRIN Photo - Mihio Manus)

Transfer Agreement brings 411Slots to Gila River Casinos

Rhodes and Allison-Raygain Governor candidacyin Primary Elections


Sacaton – When it camedown to it, Governor WilliamR. Rhodes and Lt. Gov.Jennifer Allison-Ray werethe candidates that voterschose to put on the ballotfor Governor in the 2008General Election.

For the seat of Lt.Governor, Community Man-agers Joseph Manuel andTina Notah-Enas nabbedenough votes to be placedon the ticket as well.

Unofficially, Rhodesearned 33% of the voteswith 586 votes in support ofhim. Allison-Ray carried15% with 270 votes cast forher. In the race for Lt. Gov-ernor, Manuel held on to thelead at 28.29% with 503votes barely edging Notah-Enas who received 28.01%with 498 votes.

Notable efforts weremade by Donald R. Antone,Sr., who with 195 votesearned 11% of the votes forGovernor and Malcolm Es-chief who received 370votes which translated to21% of the votes for the of-fice of Lt. Governor.

Leading up to thePrimaries, the candidatescontended for office by par-ticipating in a series of fo-rums. The forums gave thecandidates the opportunityto address the Communitywith their concerns, plat-forms and general aspira-tions for the direction of theCommunity. During the fo-rums, candidates weregiven five minutes to ad-dress the audience, afterwhich time the floor wasopened up to questions.

Manuel and Notah-Enas take top spots as can-didates for Lt. Governor

See Primary ElectionsPage 7


Wild Horse Pass – The Gila River Indian

Community entered into a new agreement

with Navajo Nation allowing the Gila River

Gaming Enterprises (GRGE) to operate an

additional 411 slot machines.

The transfer is part of a historic

pooling agreement between the Navajo

Nation and three other gaming tribes in-

cluding the Giila River Indian Community,

the Fort McDowell Yavapai Apache Nation,

and the Tohono O’odham Nation.

The agreement between GRIC and

the Navajo Nation is authorized by the

2003 Tribal State Gaming Compacts,

which allow non-gaming Arizona Tribes to

transfer slot machines to tribes with gam-

ing facilities.

See Transfer Page 7

Gila River Indian News Sept. 29 - Oct. 2, 2008

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

JERI [email protected]

GRIN Office Manager

GINA [email protected]

Receptionist

Phone: (520)562-9715, 9716, 9717Fax: (520)562-9712

Email: [email protected] Gila River News

Congratulations!

Blackwater Community School

had 102 students who had PER-

FECT ATTENDANCE in the month

of August. That meant that they

were at school everyday, on time

and did not leave early. We are

very proud of our students. We

know that every minute counts!

These students received $25 gift

cards from a store of their choice.

They are working towards getting

perfect attendance for the year so

they can earn a 42” Flat Screen

TV, a computer or a Wii Video

Game. Great Job!

102 students from Blackwater Commu-nity School get Perfect Attendance

Membership weighedheavily on the minds of most Com-munity Members attending pre-sentations of the TribalConstitution Reform Project in Au-gust. Task Force members andstaff visited each District and theUrban Members Association inPhoenix as part of the Public Infor-mation Campaign phase of theProject. During theses visits, theTask Force members presentedan overview of the Project and asummary of the Community’s Con-stitution. Presenters also sharedsurvey results and continued gath-ering information on what Commu-nity Members would like to see intheir Constitution.

Many members agree thatthose who live off of the reserva-tion for more than 20 years shouldnot automatically lose member-ship. “To me, you are always amember of the Tribe no matterhow long you are away,” said oneanonymous commenter from Dis-trict 5.

However, opinions variedon the topic of blood quantum.Some members want to see theblood quantum increased or makethe Indian blood requirement spe-cific to Pima or Maricopa. Others

want to see the blood quantum re-duced or for decendency to beconsidered for membership qualifi-cation. Still, many others wouldlike to see membership require-ments remain the same.

Because constitutional re-form is an historical event, theTask Force recorded each presen-tation and the discussions that fol-lowed. Additionally, the TaskForce asked attendees to fill outcomment cards. The recordingsand comment cards will serve theTask Force in further evaluatingthe sections of the Constitutionthat the membership would like tosee revised as well as what theCommunity wants to see in anynew sections.

District presentations re-main a crucial method of directcommunication between the TaskForce and the community mem-bership. . There are a few addi-tional meetings scheduled inSeptember.

If you missed your Dis-trict’s presentation, or if you needadditional information, contactyour district representative or theProject Manager, Gerald Cal-nimptewa at (520) 562-9757/ [email protected].

Constitution Task Force findsmembership is on the minds ofCommunity Members

quire scripts for commercial films

which would appeal to a broader

demographic.

The intention of Little Big

Productions, according to Beach, is

to bring movie production to Gila

River, create employment and

hopefully a buzz surrounding the

endeavor.

The Economic Develop-

ment Department has met with Lit-

tle Big Productions for the past year

and reported to the EDSC. Eco-

nomic Development has also been

gathering information and refining

this proposal to best fit the eco-

nomic needs of the Community.

According to Robin

Fohrenkam, Planner with GRIC’s

Economic Development Depart-

ment, the project would be a joint

venture with Gila River being the

initial investor. At a later point, Lit-

tle Big Productions and the Com-

munity would jointly approach other

Native nations to become part of

this venture.

“Gila River is already home

to a film school of budding and very

talented film makers through the

Employment and Training Depart-

ment under the direction of Mrs.

Lana Chanda,” said Fohrenkam.

Employment and Training

has developed a project called Edit

Box where a production teams film,

edit and produce short films as a

part of a film making class. Team

member, Ruben Ringlero has ex-

plored many possibilities for initial

projects with Beach’s Little Big Pro-

ductions. Most notably, a script

written by one of the students,

Robert Jackson is one of the first

projects to be considered by Little

Big Pictures.

During previous visits to the

Community, Beach visited the film

making school in Gila River and

said that it was exactly what Little

Big Pictures would like to expand

upon.

The proposal was not met

without skepticism. District 2 Coun-

cilman Jewel Whitman told Beach

that many people promise to bring

industry to the Community and in

their proposals, they commit to hir-

ing Community members. How-

ever, Whitman said that when it

comes time to staff, tribal members

aren’t always hired.

Beach responded that one

goal is to eventually build a studio

that will train Community members

in all aspect of movie production

from building studio sets and be-

coming sound engineers to writing

screenplays and being cast in roles.

D4 Councilman, Darrell

Gerlaugh asked what Little Big Pro-

ductions’ portfolio currently looked

like. Gerlaugh inquired as to what

investments both Beach and

Kidess have to use in developing

the company. According to Kidess,

Little Big Pictures does have a port-

folio and slate of projects at its dis-

position. These projects range from

ideas such as a Pixar-type ani-

mated movie called ‘The Return of

the White Buffalo’, to a life action

adaptation of the comic book

Little Big from page 1‘Turok: Dinosaur Hunter’ to finished

scripts such as ‘Wagon West’.

Because Little Big Produc-

tions has asked Gila River to be a

partner in this endeavor, they have

held off in approaching other tribes

for investments until the Community

has made a final decision.

In the proposal put before

Council, Beach and Kidess are ask-

ing the Community for a $5M in-

vestment which will go towards start

up costs to develop the movie pro-

duction company here within the

Community.

The Council motioned to

have a third party law firm, Dorsey

& Whitney, review the business

plan and then come back with rec-

ommendations to the Community

Council on the best way to ap-

proach investment into this project.

Adam Beach is a Golden

Globe nominated actor who is of

Saulteaux descent. The Salteaux

are a branch of the Ojibwa from

Canada. Beach has starred in nu-

merous films ranging from Chris

Eyre’s Smoke Signals to the Clint

Eastwood epic Flags of Our Fa-

thers, where he portrayed Commu-

nity member Ira H. Hayes.

Andreas Kidess is a Ger-

man-born film director. Kidess has

directed several short films includ-

ing “My Brother” and “Meet The

President”. The latter of which re-

ceived 2002 Music Video Produc-

tion Assocation (MVPA) Director’s

Cut award and was screened at

several film festivals throughout the

US. He also directed “Sawtooth”, a

movie written by Jason Rainwater

that featured Beach, Garry Farmer

and Georgina Lightning.

Lars Sylvest founded Lon-

don-based Brass Hat Films Ltd., to-

gether with Nick Hamson. Since its

formation, Brass Hat Films have fi-

nanced and co-produced produc-

tions with a combined volume in

excess of $380 million, including

Premonition (Sandra Bullock / Co-

lumbia TriStar); Dreamer (Kurt Rus-

sel / Dreamworks), Shopgirl (Steve

Martin / Disney), Death Sentence

(Kevin Bacon / 20th Century Fox),

Trade (Kevin Kline / Lionsgate) and

Other End of the Line (MGM).

Brass Hat Films are currently in

pre-production on the $80million re-

make of the ‘70s hit TV series The

Persuaders.

By Emmett S. White, D5

There was a Ma:hkai

(Medicine Man) by the name of

Pi’ thoichu (Gekko) who predicted

that many things would come be-

tween the people and turn them

towards each other. He said

there would come a time when a

separation of clans, families and

children would occur. This be-

came apparent when people be-

came a very angry society and

relations accused each other of

improprieties- cheating, stealing,

lying and deceit. The children fol-

lowed the hostility of the parents

and grandparents and began to

treat other children with violence

not knowing the reasons why.

This kind of behavior would go on

for generations and Pi’thoichu

had died in the meantime but his

predictions holds true.

Then one day a man

came to the people by way of the

river. He came floating down the

water on a raft with two other

men who rowed and guided the

raft. He was a tall handsome man

with shoulder length hair and

crystal blue eyes. He wore a long

purple robe and sandals much

like the ga’gigtha (O’Otham san-

dals) the people wore. He spoke

the language of the people and

began talking as it came to the

shore. He never stepped onto the

ground but remained on the raft.

For days he talked about love, re-

sponsibility and forgiveness. He

talked about the children, he

talked about the four legged, the

two legged and the crawling crea-

tures. He talked about the water

creatures, the creatures that fly in

the air, the clouds, the sky and

the stars. He talked about the

trees and the mountains and the

water and the importance of all

these in our way of life. He talked

to many of the people who came

to listen to what he had to say,

sometimes just out of curiosity.

Some people ignored his words

and went away only to return to

the way they lived amid the evil

and the hatred. Others heard him

and began to practice the good

things of life that he talked about

and it spread to even the worst of

the worst. The people began to

live in a comfortable atmosphere,

always reminding themselves of

the Himdagi.

No one bother to ask the

man his name or where he came

from or what ever happened to

him. Who was he? What was the

reason he came to the people at

that particular time?

Today, we can only

guess. Some of the people are

still caught up in the predictions

of Pi’thoichu, unwilling to forgive

the past for reasons of their own.

Is there room today to change

and live with respect, of responsi-

bility and reverence? If we are to

remain Akimel O’Otham, let us all

think about what this man who

came and said about the simple

ways of love, responsibility and

forgiveness for people, places

and things and obtaining a hap-

pier way of life. Let us began to

change.

Sept. 29 - Oct. 2, 2008 Gila River Indian News

Early Voting by mail REGISTERED VOTERS,

MAKE SURE YOUR VOTE COUNTS!

Voting by Mail is a way for tribal members to

vote without the ID requirements needed at the

polling place. Contact your county recorder to

request an early ballot. The only ID requirement

used in early voting is that the signature on your

early ballot will be compared to the signature on

your voter registration form.

When completed, your early ballot can be

mailed back to the County Recorder or, if you so

choose, brought to any polling location in the

county on Election Day.

Important Dates:

October 9th Early Ballots mailed October 24th Last day to request early ballot from County Recorder November 4th Presidential General Election For more information contact the Secretary of State’s office at (877) THE-VOTE or visit http://www.itcaonline.com

DISTRICTS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7

DATE

EVENT

SEPTEMBER 17, 2008

VOTER REGISTRATION OPENS FOR THE GENERAL ELECTION: New registrations or any changes/corrections to your existing voter registration status (i.e., married, moved, etc.).

OCTOBER 1, 2008

Community Council certifies election results of Primary Election

OCTOBER 7, 2008

VOTER REGISTRATION CLOSES for new registrations, changes, etc.

OCTOBER 11, 2008

Training on Absentee Balloting for District & Chief Election Judges

OCTOBER 14, 2008

ABSENTEE BALLOTS ARE AVAILABLE for the General Election

NOVEMBER 1, 2008

Election Officials Training for the General Election

NOVEMBER 3, 2008

Tabulation Training for Election Officials ABSENTEE VOTING CLOSES @ 5:00 PM

NOVEMBER 4, 2008

GENERAL ELECTION for Distr icts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7

NOVEMBER 7, 2008

5:00 pm deadline to a file protest to the November 4th General Election. Protest must be filed in writing to the Community Council Secretary.

NOVEMBER 19, 2008

Community Council to certify the election results of the 2008 General Election.

For further information on this schedule, please call (520) 562-9735, 9758

Letters

Dear Editor,

Hello, I am sending you this here

brief note in regards to the article

in the July ’08 issue of the GRIN

that you reported on behalf of the

Per Capita on page 4. Now I am

confused, due to the fact that you

had mentioned about an applica-

tion having to be submitted; is

there a specific application that is

needed to be submitted? I am cur-

rently incarcerated and am con-

cerned about this application that

you have mentioned about in your

article. I have my current address

and information updated with the

Enrollment office; is this the only

part of the application process that

you have mentioned about? If

there is a specific application that

needs to be submitted, may you

please consider in providing me

with the info of who I need to con-

tact for this application.

Sincerely,

Bryant Thomas

A Man Who CameWhen Wilma Thurman-Pablo was

a young girl she was a terrific ath-

lete and had an infectious laugh.

In 1963, she was chosen by our

people as the first Miss Gila River.

On September 23rd, after a life-

time of hardships and triumph, of

joy and sorrow; Gila River laid its

first Miss to rest. Wilma was the

prototype of what this community

expects of its titleholders: intelli-

gent, graceful and strong. She

was proud of each and every ex-

ceptional woman who carried her

title and welcomed each into the

Sisterhood of Miss Gila Rivers.

We, as the collective of for-

mer Miss Gila Rivers, feel of the

loss of our founding sister. Each of

us has felt the pressure of filling

her traditional sandals and living

up to the standards she created.

She taught us that we were more

than mere beauty queens who

won a contest - we were ambas-

sadors. We were entrusted with a

duty and responsibility to our com-

munity selected based our knowl-

edge and personality. Our reigns

have brought us closer to our edu-

cational goals, our culture and our

community, but none of us could

have experienced this if it were not

for her and her inaugural reign.

We owe so much to our founding

queen.

With a heavy heart we bid

farewell to our predecessor. We

presented a heart shaped wreath

of 45 roses, one for each Miss

Gila River she inspired and influ-

enced throughout her lifetime. As

we say goodbye, we must thank

God for her: the example she left

for all of us, the love she had for

her community & family, for her

beautiful smile and tremendous

fast pitch!

Our prayers and hearts go

out to the family & friends she left

behind. We will all miss her im-

mensely.

On Behalf of Every Miss Gila

River,

Cher Thomas Miss

Gila River 2004

Gila River says goodbye to it’s first Miss

RAP Application?

Dear Gila River Indian Commu-

nity,

My name is Cynthia Lin and I am

a research fellow at the National

Institute of Environmental Health

Sciences. I am doing a study

examining pesticide use and dia-

betes in Pima Indians. For this

study, I need information about

what kind of pesticides were

used in the 1970s. If you (or

your parents or grandparents)

farmed in the 1970s and 1980s,

you could help provide some crit-

ical information. Please contact

me at [email protected] or

919-541-0383.

Thank you in advance,

Cynthia Lin

Research study on Pesticide use, Pima FarmersCorrection to Ovations article, Aug. ‘08, pg. 14.

The opening date is November 20 – the GRIC Com-

munity celebration is from noon to 3pm that day at the

new Lone Butte Casino. Attendees must be 21 years

of age or older.

The 75% is a goal however, what is being used to get

to that goal is the current hiring policy of native and

tribal member preference.

By Mihio Manus

GRIN Managing Editor

Sacaton - It’s a Wednesday night

at the youth home and kids are

running around, playing basket-

ball and enjoying shaved ice and

popcorn. Parents are sitting at

picnic tables and kids are bounc-

ing around in the jumping gym.

The atmosphere is calm and the

breeze is cool.

Tonight is Family Night at

the Residential Youth Home in

Sacaton. It’s a special night be-

cause along with visiting parents

and family, the kids are welcom-

ing Governor William R. Rhodes

and members of the Community

Council.

Trina Hart and her staff

host Family Night once a month

as a way for residential children

to get together with their families

in a less stressful, positive envi-

ronment. Hart is the Administra-

tor for the Residential Program

for Youth which is a department

of Tribal Social Services.

Upon completing a tour of

the facility, Governor Rhodes

asked, “What can I do to help?”

Hart tells the Governor

that the program needs someone

to help ‘push’ for a new building to

be built. She hopes to see new

digs that would provide more

space for more kids. As it stands

the home can accommodate 24

children and there are currently 18

living there.

Hart said, “The goal is to

have small cottages where every-

one will have their own room and

space.”

The Governor tells her that

according to the revenue allocation

plan the GRIC government needs

to allocate money to ensure the

operation of it’s community depart-

ments and programs. As such, he

says that he’d like to see more

money appropriated towards pro-

grams like the Residential Youth

Home.

“Where are the parents?”

asked Governor Rhodes.

Although there are parents

present, Hart said that more often

it’s the family members who at-

tend. The kids who live in the

home are wards of the children’s

court and have all at one time or

another been involved with Child

Protective Services. Some are

there because their parents have

failed to comply with their proba-

tionary terms with the courts.

“Because substance abuse

has overrun our community, some

parents are not ready (to take cus-

tody),” she said.

Hart said that money for

the program was appropriated

seven years ago but it was only

two years back when they were al-

lowed to start remodeling the cur-

rent home. They’ve done what

they could with the space they

have. Walls have been knocked

out to make room for play space,

new beds and mattresses have

been brought in, and the rest-

rooms have been given new stalls,

tiles and showers.

Still, the state of mending

holes in the walls is constant. “Be-

cause of the temperament of some

kids, we’re constantly repairing

holes in the walls,” she said.

“Some kids are angry and destruc-

tive.”

The repercussion of bad

behavior is not swept under the

rug at the youth home. It is dealt

with immediately. The residents

must help in repairing the damage

they’ve caused and they also must

work off the cost of the repairs.

Doors are also an amenity

here, where the kids can lose their

door privileges if they are consis-

tently being slammed or kicked.

When a child loses his or her door

they have the opportunity to get it

put back on by exhibiting good be-

havior. It’s not unusual for doors to

be taken off and put back on in the

same week or even a couple of

times during the month. The latter

case being when it takes longer for

a child to earn their door back.

As stated before, the cur-

rent facility can accommodate up

to 24 residents. It’s comprised of

three wings that split the residents

into age groups and separates the

boys and girls. Currently, the resi-

dents range in age from 11 months

old to 18 years old. When the resi-

dents reach 18 years of age, they

become old enough to leave which

is known an as “aging out”.

Plans for a new facility in-

clude an independent living area

where those kids who are about to

“age out” would be given the op-

portunity to stay in the home for a

little longer while making the tran-

sition back into living in the Com-

munity. It would also facilitate the

need for transitioning resi-

dents, not “aging out” but re-

turning home, back into home

life.

Hart says there have been

cases where residents are re-

turned back to their parents

and have a hard time adjusting

into a normal home life. In

these cases, the children nor-

mally end up back in the facility

because the parents aren’t

able to deal with them.

She hopes that a transi-

tional living area would ease

the pressures of returning

home while giving the staff the

opportunity to iron out issues

the children might have when

returning to life with their par-

ents. “We have plans and

ways we want to keep the fam-

ilies involved,” Hart said.

Councilmen Malcolm Es-

chief, D4, Arzie Hogg, D1, and

Jewel Whitman, D2, were also

on hand to tour the facility and

give insights into how the Resi-

dential Youth Home could work

with the different standing

committees to help move the

plans forward for a new build-

ing.

Lt. Governor Jennifer Alli-

son-Ray also toured the facility

earlier that day and according to

Hart, she expressed the same

concerns that Governor Rhodes

did.

It would be hard not to walk

away from this visit unaffected. To

see children who are separated

from their families, who are some-

times angry but still retain the inno-

cence and drive to live life to the

fullest as only a child can. But

there is comfort in knowing the

staff of the Residential Youth

Home is consistently putting their

best foot forward in nurturing the

development and security of the

children who reside here.

On his way out, the Gover-

nor told Hart, “We’re moving this

up on our priorities.”


Governor Rhodes, Council visit Residential Youth Home

Clockwise from Above Left: A view through the window of one of the rooms. Trina Hart(left) and Governor Rhodes talk about the youth home. Councilmen Whitman (left), Hogg(middle) and Eschief (right) tour the living area of the older residents.


GILA RIVER YOUTH FOOTBALL AND CHEER

2008 SCHEDULE:

“ALL AMERICAN DUST DEVILS”Head Coach:

MikeTashquinth COLOR: Silver and Black

DATE: TIME: VENUE: OPPONENT:

9/13/2008 2:00PM Sacaton Middle School Gila River Raiders

9/20/2008 8:00PM Tartesso Park Buckeye Bolts

Buckeye, Az

9/27/2008 12:00PM Sacaton Middle School Gila River Raiders

10/11/20008 10:00AM Tartesso Park Buckeye Bolts

Buckeye, Az


Buckeye, AZ

“Pee Wee” Head Coach: Leon Manuel

9/13/2008 12:00PM Sacaton Middle School West Valley Hurricanes

9/20/2008 8:00AM Friendship Park West Valley Cougars

Avondale, AZ

9/27/2008 10:00AM Sacaton Middle School Cave Creek Warriors

10/04/2008 12:00PM Sacaton Middle School Southeast Jr Devils

10/11/2008 10:00AM Camelback HS South Mountain Team AZ

Phoenix, AZ

10/18/2008 12:00PM Sacaton Middle School Gilbert Dawgs (Silver Team)

“Mighty Mites” Head Coach: Joseph Manuel

9/13/2008 10:00AM Sacaton Middle School Cave Creek Coyotes

9/20/2008 8:00AM Tumbleweed Park Chandler Rattlers

Chandler, AZ

9/27/2008 8:00AM Boulder Creek HS Desert Highland Wolfpack

Anthem, AZ (Silver Team)

10/04/2008 10:00AM Sacaton Middle School Southeast Valley Destroyers

10/18/2008 10:00AM Sacaton Middle School Chandler Rockets

“All American Raiders” Head Coach: Lloyd Gray

9/13/2008 2:00PM Sacaton Middle School Gila River Dust Devils

9/27/2008 12:00PM Sacaton Middle School Gila River Dust Devils

10/04/2008 2:00PM Sacaton Middle School Buckeye Bolts


Buckeye, AZ

10/25/2008 2:00PM Sacaton Middle School Casa Grande Cyclones

Please come out and support your Gila River Raiders ALL AMERICAN team!

Any question contact David Yesk 520-562-2025 or Leon Manuel 602-908-6598

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!

The Gila River Indian Com-

munity Utility Authority (GRICUA) is

interested in becoming your Electric

Utility!

GRICUA was started to pro-

vide low cost power to Community

members and we are doing just

that. Today, GRICUA serves ap-

proximately 290 customers and we

are interested in serving you. Any

on-Reservation, residential cus-

tomer currently served by the San

Carlos Irrigation Project (SCIP) is

eligible.

GRICUA is extending an in-

vitation for you to switch your exist-

ing electric service from SCIP to

GRICUA. Residential customers

that have switched are experienc-

ing an average of 6% monthly sav-

ings. For example, a customer that

uses 1300kWh per month has a

payment of $155.49 with GRICUA

compared to $165.84 with SCIP, for

a savings of $10.35 per month or

$124.20 per year. There is no

charge for customers to switch and

GRICUA is currently not charging

any deposits when you switch from

SCIP to GRICUA.

To switch to GRICUA you

will need to complete an Agreement

for Service, and an Exhibit E. Once

submitted, GRICUA will handle all

the paperwork and GRICUA will ex-

change your existing electric meter.

Once the meter is exchanged,

GRICUA will be your new service

provider. For more information on

making the switch please feel free

to stop by the office at 6640 W.

Sundust Rd, call us at 520-796-

0600, or view our website at

http://www.gricua.net

Want to save money on your electric bill?

By Johnny Federico

Design Engineer

GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY

District One Service Center Phone: (520) 215-4471

Route 1, Box 94-G Fax: (520) 215-3831

Coolidge, Arizona 85228

Gila River Indian Community District One-Blackwater Community

Roads Improvement Project-Phase II; Right of Way Consents

Friday, September 05, 2008

District One is trying to locate the following individuals for the District One-Road Improvement Project Phase II-to obtain Right-of-Way (ROW) Consents from the following individuals below: The Road Improvements would greatly benefit you and all the community residents, as they provide access to homes of your family members, local churches, and other momentous facilities within the community. They would also be utilized by emergency response vehicles (police, ambulance, fire, DPW trash pick up, school buses, Safe Ride) and other community vehicles that provide transportation services to the residents. Air quality will also improve, by reducing the dust in the area. In addition, the road construction will be an overall improvement to the community. If you should have any questions, please contact the Project Administrator at the District One Service Center at (520) 215-4471. 1. Juanita Johnson 2. Gerald Thomas 3. Peter Thomas Jr. 4. Betty Gustin Lewis Herrington 5. Hazel Jackson Makil 6. Kenneth Marrietta 7. Joseph Ellis 8. Charles Jose 9. Malrow Jose III 10. Lafayette Johnson 11. Margaret Johnson 12. Charlene Jackson 13. Loretta Jackson 14. Rosanna Jackson 15. Hazel Makil Jackson 16. Lorenzo Jackson 17. Livia Lamb Jackson 18. Rosanna Jackson 19. Arlana Jackson 20. Frelon Jackson 21. Yolanda Jackson 22. David Thomas

Wild Horse Pass - Dr. Ronald J. Areglado, ED. D., was the keynotespeaker at the 4th annual GRIC reservation-wide teacher in-service.Areglado is currently an elementary school principal in Warwick, RI,the stateʼs second largest city.

In his keynote address, he said, “A number of Native Ameri-can educators told me to never mistake a childʼs ability to learn fortheir background.” Areglado said that he believes that it is themoral imperative of every educator to help adults and young peoplefulfill their own personal hopes and dreams.

The in-service took place at the Sheraton at Wild HorsePass and held the theme of “Weaving Our Past Through Educa-tion, To the Future”. Throughout the course of the day, teachersparticipated in breakout sessions including: “Teaching Mathemati-cal Problem Solving”, “Growing Culture in the Garden”, and “PeePa Kavey – People of the West”. These are just a few examples ofthe many sessions the teachers had to choose from.

In closing his address, Areglado said, “I often think of edu-cation in todayʼs world as being a Cinderella story. Thereʼs the slip-per but there is too much foot. We need to make t he foot fit theslipper.”

Teacher In-Service weaves pastto the future through education

Keynote speaker, Dr. Ronald J. Areglado came from Warwick, RI, to speakabout his lifeʼs journey in the education field. (GRIN photo - Mihio Manus)


By Jeri Thomas

GRIN Office Manager

Sacaton. Breakfast and

lunch service will soon be avail-

able to the public and approxi-

mately 1000 employees housed at

the Governance Center and the

Sacaton Hospital.

Danelle Spring, owner and

operator of the Rez Stop Café, will

offer up the usual cafeteria fare

such as soups, salads, and sand-

wiches. “It will be a balancing act

because I am not here to present

meals at $10 a plate. Most people

are on a limited budget.” However,

she promises and emphasizes

special menu items. On her list is a

gas grill to char chicken and

steaks which will add to the flair

and variety of dishes offered.

Spring has an easy laugh

and an unassuming demeanor. As

we sit to talk about her background

and plans for the café, the first

topic she broached was that she is

new to the Community. Spring and

her brother were raised in Virginia

by her paternal grandparents.

“Let me just tell you I was a

bad kid. I was into drugs and alco-

hol and I didn’t always do so well

in school. Opportunities did not

exist in the small town where I

grew up. It was just black and

white (ethnicities). I had no family.”

At the age of 21 she left

Virginia and the drug lifestyle.

Spring’s intended path was Co-op

Village, thanks, in part, to mom,

Sandra Harvey. It was a reunion of

a lifetime so to speak, because

Harvey was not raised in the West-

end, or the Gila River Indian Com-

munity, for that matter. Harvey was

raised in the state child care foster

system. As an adult, Harvey re-

united with her biological mother

and father.

“Here it is totally different. I

have family here. I have cousins.

It’s ‘nice’ here. There is a sense of

community and everyone knows

each other.”

Spring settled in Co-Op

next to her grandmother, Caroline

Barehand. She subsided on low

paying jobs. It became clear that

this was not the lifestyle she envi-

sioned. She enrolled in business

school and paid for tuition with a

student loan. Spring said “I learned

that when you’re in school you

don’t know anything.” But actually,

this is where she learned com-

puter, accounting, and business

management.

At the prompting of her

grandmother, she prepared and

submitted her paperwork to be-

come an enrolled member of the

Gila River Indian Community. “I

was an adult then and could do my

own paperwork.”

Student loan payments

were imminent. “I was not looking

for the Scottsdale Culinary Institute

in particular, but I knew basic food

preparation. I took a tour of the

campus. The courses looked over-

whelming and challenging. For

those without exposure to culinary

arts, it is basically is a science and

you have to find what people like,”

she said.

As Spring recalls, she was

apprehensive about the GRIC

scholarship process because the

rumor mill had it pegged that

awards were hard to come by.

People told me it would be difficult.

“It wasn’t, she said. “It just took

steps and if you were stuck, some-

one was always available and will-

ing to help.”

“You know, the beautiful

thing about Gila River is they pay

you to go to school. They pay the

school and they don’t ask you to

pay it back. That is unheard of. If

you need to eat, you get a job.”

The Le Cordon Bleu pro-

gram at the Scottsdale Culinary In-

stitute is a 15-month program that

emphasizes techniques. “All chefs

have their own techniques and

they think theirs is the best.” Six to

12 weeks are dedicated to hands-

on training in the school restau-

rants which are open to the public.

She graduated in 2005. When

asked how she felt upon graduat-

ing, Spring said “It was . . . l-o-v-e-

l-y. I was definitely happy and I

had an overwhelming sense of

pride because I accomplished

something.”

“You have to do something

to get something. You have to

work at it. It was hard. It’s not easy.

But it is not impossible. It can be

done. It is not as easy as going to

the store and buying a 40. There

were plenty of bad things/hard-

ships. That is the hard part. But

you have to take pride in yourself

because you never did it before.

You have to keep on going. It’s

easy to give up.”

Her mom’s fellow church-

goers made the connection with

“Taco Bite.” The late Christine Es-

chief quickly became her mentor.

Taco Bite is a family-owned

business located on 51st Avenue in

Gila

Crossing that serves popovers,

green and red chili burros, etc. to

the locals and commuters to/from

the Phoenix metro area. “They did

the best job they could. It was

‘their’ food. Christine is one of

those women in the Community

who was very supportive and an

inspiration in her own way.”

At seven dollars an hour,

Spring did everything she could at

Taco Bite. Eschief was retired from

the health care field and was in-

strumental in the formative years

with what now known as the Ko-

matke Market.

When sales were slow Es-

chief would tell stories of her trav-

els. It was through these talks that

Eschief instilled a sense of how

things were and how things can be

when faced with challenges. She

encouraged Spring that it would be

hard but it could be done.

Spring went to work every

day and managed to put away

savings. Eschief was struck with

cancer. The house is behind the

shop. It was a very hard time for

the family. It was horrible. After she

passed, it was not the same.

Spring pressed onward to

perfect her recipes. “The recipes

are mine from school, my grand-

mother, my mom, and co-workers.”

Spring shared that through the blur

of Alzheimer’s her grandmother in

Virginia professed, “If you treat

people right good things will hap-

pen to you.”

It started happening with

the Entrepreneurship Program

through the Economic Develop-

ment Department. With the assis-

tance of Sally Martinez, Spring

obtained her first micro business

loan.

“I got a big grill, a ‘pig

cooker’ some tease.” Spring also

purchased a tent, tables and

chairs and set up shop at 51st Av-

enue and Pecos Road, across the

Komatke Market because, “You

can’t make business happen when

you’re stuck in your house. I began

meeting people. Lots of people

want to help, they won’t do it for

you but they are willing to help.”

Her calendar quickly filled with cul-

tural festivals—Five Tribes, Mus-

tering-In, and the Sacaton Rodeo.

The Entrepreneurship Pro-

gram connected Spring with the

Business Owners Association.

The best boost came this

past January. It was the culture

fest kickoff for the NFL Super Bowl

sponsored by the Arizona Indian

Office of Tourism. Event organizers

anticipated 10,000 participants to

walk through the gates at Steele

Indian School Park in Phoenix.

Spring partnered with Matt

Kisto, a fellow GRIC business

owner. Jackie Marquez, Spring’s

cousin and dough extraordinaire,

was floured up from the moment

they arrived until the moment they

left. A lot of dough was made dur-

ing those days.

“You need to be real secure

in what you are doing. You can

only sit in your room for so long

when things go wrong. You can

have a plan, but the work is how

you get there.”

Spring rhetorically asks,

“How did I get here? Opening up

shop at the Governance Center

was not my plan. I envisioned get-

ting more concession equipment to

do the festivals because Gila River

lacks retail space.” “But they are

working on that,” she said.

Spring’s life revolves

around her business. Two years

ago she kicked alcohol. “I shop

and look for the best prices. It is

my life. I am not scared to take on

a new direction. The point of life is

to experience new things. This was

an opportunity to change. I went

with it and won the contract.”

“Take a Break at the Rez

Stop” is the motto Spring settled

upon. “Come, enjoy the ambience

and camaraderie. Replenish your

body,” she invites.

Café hours are from 7:30

a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There will be

hours when certain menu items

will not be available but the café

will not close.

When asked about flavored

coffees and creams like crème

brulèe, for instance? She quickly

replies, “I make crème brulèe!”

Violà!

Take a Break at the Rez StopThe Rez Stop Café at the Governance Center Will Open Mon,Sept. 29

“You have to do something toget something. You have to

work at it. It was hard. It’s noteasy. But it is not impossible.”

Although the Navajo Nation has ap-

proved gaming and is currently building casinos,

they have been allocated 2,400 slot machines

and an additional 450 machines this past spring.

Not needing the whole of the machines allo-

cated, the tribe placed some 1,050 machines for

its own gaming operations into a pool and invited

other Arizona gaming tribes to bid on them.

The result of which garnered GRIC an

additional 411 slot machines for its own gaming

facilities. The Navajo Nation also negotiated to

lease 180 machines to the Fort McDowell Yava-

pai Nation and 454 machines to the Tohono

O’odham Nation.

Leasing the excess machines came with

a price tag of $7.4M which was paid to the

Navajo Nation at an Agreement Signing Cere-

mony and Check Presentation on Mon, Sept.15,

2008, at 11am. The Ceremony was held at the

Whirlwind Golf Course Club House in Chandler,

AZ.

Governor Rhodes stated that this Agree-

ment is a good example of how the 2003 Com-

pacts are working: “This is a true win-win

situation. Gila River can better serve its casino

patrons and the Navajo Nation receives revenue

that it can use for economic development.”

During the ceremony, Navajo Nation

President, Joe Shirley, Jr., thanked GRIC and

said it was good that the tribes were working to-

gether. “I want to express appreciation to all

three sovereigns,” Shirley said. “We’re all on the

same side. We should be standing together.”

Shirley went on to thank Governor

Rhodes for the lump sum payment amount.

Fort McDowell President, Clinton Pattea

recollected back to May 12th, 1992 when the FBI

and US Marshalls raided six casinos in Arizona

with Ft. McDowell being one of them. Pattea rec-

ollected about their slot machines being loaded

up into Mayflower vans and how Ft. McDowell

stopped the raid. “We said, ‘No, you couldn’t do

that’. We said we have sovereignty, we have self

determination and we want to keep our casinos

open.”

Ned Norris, Chairman of the Tohono

O’Odham Nation, noted that there was a lot of

history sitting at the table and that he was hon-

ored to be in attendance. Norris said the tribes

have come a long way in establishing their sov-

ereignty by gaining the right to operate casinos

through the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory

Act of 1988. “Look at what it takes to fulfill the

IGRA compacts,” he said. “We’ve come a long

way.”

Norris said that through gaming tribes are

able to further provide opportunities within their

communities and address issues that face them.

“We need to address the 3rd world conditions that

exist within our lands,” he said.

Gila River Gaming Enterprises is now au-

thorized to operate 2,686 slot machines at three

Casinos - Wild Horse Pass, Vee Quiva and at its

new Lone Butte Casino scheduled to open the

evening of November 20, 2008, all located in the

Phoenix metropolitan area.


Along with messages ofchange, the forums sometimes di-gressed into gripe sessions wherecandidates shot from the hip aboutwhat they felt was wrong with thecurrent administration.

At the D3 forum, RichardNarcia told the audience that thepast three years have been frustrat-ing for him because Communitymembers would comment to him onwhat is happening.

“Employees and directorscome up to me at the post office andother places,” Narcia said. “We areon a downward spiral. We need tostabilize our tribal budget. $30 mil-lion dollars could have been spentlast year. We are lacking good man-agement. There is no reason whywe shouldnʼt have banks or shop-ping centers.”

Donald Antone said theCommunity is at a standstill and thatit needs more development both in-dustrial and commercial. “We arenot well organized. We need to re-

build on our stability and credibilityamong our sister tribes, county andstate government,” Antone told thecrowd. “My approach is a commonsense approach.”

Lt. Governor Jennifer Alli-son-Ray expressed concern withthe direction the Community isheaded. She feels that some em-ployees within the GRIC depart-ments are favored and given specialtreatment according to who theyʼrerelated to. Allison-Ray commented,“Progress is slow at the departmentlevel.”

Responding to those whofelt a lack of progress, GovernorRhodes said, “Maybe Iʼm dreamingbut I see a lot of progress. Lookaround you. Look outside yourhouses. Things are getting done.”

Rhodes went on to say, “Ihave been in public service for 44years. We are all public servants.We serve you, the people. If youfeel you want to continue to haveme in office, then vote for me.”

In D4, Lt. Governor Allison-Ray told the audience, “This is myhome community where I grew up.Iʼm fortunate to be a part of this dis-trict.”

She said that sheʼs heardthat people are saying if sheʼselected, sheʼs going to do away withper capita payments. To the con-trary, she said that the people havevoted on it and the plans for pay-ment are in place. She told the peo-ple that the right to vote is soimportant and that there have beenmany Community members whohave fought for this right.

Allison-Ray also said thatthe Community should not severties with congressmen, senators orour sister tribes. She said, “Theseties are as important as the ties wehave to each other as Communitymembers.”

The Lt. Governor said shegets along well with tribes and canwork with anyone from congress-men to senators. She also said thatprogress will not happen within theCommunity when there is inner tur-moil and favoritism existing within

the government. “Iʼm not here toplay games,” she said. “Iʼm seri-ous.”

Governor Rhodes deliveredhis platform with succinct brevity.He told the audience that many ofthe candidates are painting a bleakpicture and that nobody is recogniz-ing the important changes that arehappening within the Community.Houses are coming up, he said, anddevelopment is taking placethroughout the Community andwithin governmental departments.

“Thereʼs still more to do,” hesaid. “Iʼm not done yet but if youhave any problems, come ElectionDay, take care of it at the polls.”

The Governor was one ofthe only candidates that the audi-ence asked questions of. An at-tendee asked what the Governorwas going to do about dealing witha hostile Council. Rhodes said, “Ididnʼt make Council hostile. I be-lieve that now, Council is working to-gether for the people.”

Another asked why hethought there were so many formerGovernors running against him. Heresponded that apparently theseformer Governors want the job. Hesaid, “Itʼs a free election, anyonecan run.”

An member of the audiencesaid, “You say things are progress-ing yet I still see a lot of problems.”

The Governor asked “Whatspecifically?”

“Well Housing is a mess.The Governorʼs response was thatfor the past 15 years Housing hasbeen a mess and that his adminis-tration is just now getting it cleanedup and running.

Rhodes said he felt manycandidates lacked the insight intothe current administration and weretrying to instill fear in the audienceby telling them that the Communityin a ʻdownward spiralʼ and that noprogress is being made. “Theyeven scared me,” he said jokingly.

But the Governor contendsthat heʼs not finished yet and thatthere is much to do by way of hous-ing, employment and gaming.

Primary Elections from page 1

Transfer from page 1


Mustering In Day FestivitiesIn District Seven we celebrate the valor and commitment our commu-

nity’s veterans and troops have displayed throughout their service in the military.

For over a hundred years our community has helped fight in many wars and still

continue to do so even today.

This year, we celebrated their dedication by hosting our annual Muster-

ing In Day at Cardinal Park in Co-op Village. Our Pee-Posh Veterans presented

colors and the Ira Hayes Post conducted a 21 gun salute to those who have

fallen while serving our country.

Several dance groups and singers arrived to share their culture. The

Bird Singing & Dancing by the River Dance Group from Lehi as well as dancers

from District 4 and Hualapai shared as well. In the evening there was boxing

tournament and a chicken scratch dance with music provided by Papago War-

rior.

It’s always a good thing when we can come together and acknowledge

the sacrifices our troops have made in ensuring our freedom.

Devin RedbirdD7 Councilman

Hualapai Skywalker YouthBird Singer and Dancers

Papago Warrior

Pee Posh Veterans Miss and Junior MissGila River

Photos by Mihio Manus, Jeri Thomas, Devin Redbird and Cher Thomas


TUCSON, Ariz. - A federal grand

jury in Tucson returned an18 count

indictment against Adam Thomas

Vega, 30, of Tucson, Arizona, for

Theft by Officer or Employee of

Gaming Establishment on Indian

Lands (Counts 1-15) and At-

tempted Evasion of Assessment

and Payment of Federal Individual

Income Taxes (Counts 16-18).

U.S. Attorney Diane

Humetewa said, “The gaming

tribes rely on the integrity of their

casino operations to put money

back into their local communities.

This alleged theft hurts the in-

tegrity of the system. Hopefully

this indictment will send a mes-

sage that such individuals will be

investigated and prosecuted to the

fullest extent of the law possible to

preserve the integrity of our Indian

gaming casinos in Arizona.”

The indictment alleges

that between October 2005 and

July 2007, while employed as a

slot floor person at the Desert Dia-

mond Casino in Tucson, Arizona,

Vega created 585 fraudulent jack-

pot override tickets. All of the false

jackpot tickets were for amounts

under $1,200 to avoid generating

a W-2G federal tax withholding

form. Vega submitted the jackpot

tickets to the casino cage cashier

and a total of $664,422.00 was

taken from the casino. Further-

more, the indictment alleges that

Vega failed to report any of the

money earned from creating the

false jackpot tickets as gross in-

come as required by law. He is al-

leged to have evaded the payment

of $23,452 for tax year 2005;

$129,248 for tax year 2006; and

$53,377 for tax year 2007. The

IRS estimates that the Vega

evaded paying approximately

$205,077 in taxes. The defendant

has been summoned to appear on

September 18, 2008 at 11:00 am.

A conviction for Theft by

Officer or Employee of Gaming Es-

tablishment on Indian Lands car-

ries a maximum penalty of 20

years, a $1,000,000 fine or both. A

conviction for Attempted Evasion

of Assessment and Payment of

Federal Individual Income Taxes

carries a maximum penalty of 5

years, a $100,00 fine or both. In

determining an actual sentence,

the judge will consult the U.S.

Sentencing Guidelines, which pro-

vide appropriate sentencing

ranges. The judge, however, is

not bound by those guidelines in

determining a sentence.

An indictment is simply

the method by which a person is

charged with criminal activity and

raises no inference of guilt. An in-

dividual is presumed innocent until

competent evidence is presented

to a jury that establishes guilt be-

yond a reasonable doubt. The investigation pre-

ceding the indictment was con-ducted by the Tohono O’odhamNation Police Department and theU.S. Internal Revenue Service.The prosecution is being handledby Mark Brnovich, Assistant U.S.Attorney, District of Arizona,Phoenix and Danny Roetzel, Spe-cial Assistant

U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona,

Tucson.

Casino employee indicted for embezzling $664,443from Desert Diamond Casino

PHOENIX – George Renteria,19,

of Casa Blanca, Ariz. was sen-

tenced to 75 months in federal

prison by U.S. District Judge Mary

H. Murguia. Renteria pleaded

guilty on January 3, 2008 to rob-

bery after trying to steal a car on

the Gila River Indian Reservation

with co-defendant Traci Jackson.

In the same incident, Jackson, 41,

of the Gila River Indian Reserva-

tion, pleaded guilty to aggravated

assault and was sentenced on

May 19, 2008, to 42 months in

prison.

After meeting the victim at

a bar, Jackson and her friends

claimed that they could not find

their vehicle in the parking lot so

the victim offered the women a

ride home. When the victim

dropped off Jackson, Renteria

came out of the home. Together

Renteria and Jackson tried to steal

the victim’s vehicle. They as-

saulted the victim by beating him

with a baseball bat. After the beat-

ing, Jackson made him get into the

vehicle and drove him into the

desert where the car stalled.

Jackson then left the vehicle and

the victim eventually found help.

The victim suffered serious injuries

from the beating including multiple

lacerations to his scalp, a skull

fracture and a subdural

hematoma.

Renteria was sentenced on

August 27, 2008. The investigation

in this case was conducted by the

Gila River Police Department and

the Federal Bureau of Investiga-

tion. The prosecution was handled

by Sharon Sexton, Assistant U.S.

Attorney, District of Arizona,

Phoenix, Ariz.

Casa Blanca man sentenced to over 6 years for robbery

Largest casino related theft by an employee in Arizona casino history.

PHOENIX - Secundino Favela, an

illegal alien living in Bapchule,

Ariz. on the Gila River Indian

Reservation , pleaded guilty today

in federal district court in Phoenix

to Conspiracy to Possess With In-

tent to Distribute Methampheta-

mine. Approximately four pounds

of methamphetamine were found

by law enforcement officials in

April 2008 after a search was

conducted at his residence.

In February and April 2008

several purchases of metham-

phetamine were monitored by

Special Agents of the Drug En-

forcement Administration and pro-

vided the basis for a search

warrant. On April 28, 2008 a fed-

eral search warrant was executed

and the search of the residence

yielded, among other things, mul-

tiple assault rifles, handguns and

$76,523 in U.S. currency. A

search of a car on the property

yielded approximately four

pounds of methamphetamine.

Sentencing is set before

Judge Roslyn O. Silver on No-

vember 17, 2008. A conviction for

Conspiracy With Intent to Distrib-

ute Methamphetamine carries a

mandatory minimum sentence of

10 years, to a maximum penalty

of life, in prison, a $4,000,000 fine

or both. In determining an actual

sentence, Judge Silver will con-

sult the U.S. Sentencing Guide-

lines, which provide appropriate

sentencing ranges. The judge,

however, is not bound by those

guidelines in determining a sen-

tence.

The investigation in this

case was conducted by the Drug

Enforcement Administration, the

Gila River Police Department and

the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Of-

fice. The prosecution is being

handled by Howard D. Sukenic,

Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of

Arizona, Phoenix.

Ilegal inBapchulepleads guilty toMeth charge

PHOENIX – Terrell “Teddy” Guerra

Sr., 23 of Laveen, Ariz. was sen-

tenced on Monday, September 8,

2008 to seven years in federal

prison by U.S. District Judge Neil

V. Wake. Guerra pleaded guilty on

June 13, 2008 to Assault with a

Dangerous Weapon.

At the time of the incident

on October 31, 2007, Guerra be-

came angry with his then 18year-

old girlfriend and began to beat

her. She attempted to escape but

he followed her, grabbed her by

the hair and dragged her back to

the house. Guerra assaulted her

for over an hour, beating her in the

head with a pistol as well as metal

bar.

Guerra ultimately apolo-

gized to the victim, but kept her in

his home for approximately 5 days

after the assault. Her mother even-

tually went to the home and found

her daughter, bruised and bat-

tered. The victim suffered serious

injuries including four fractured

bones in her back, severe facial

bruising, as well as multiple contu-

sions and abrasions all over her

body.


case was conducted by the Gila

River Police Department. The

prosecution was handled by

Sharon Sexton, Assistant U.S. At-

torney, District of Arizona, Phoenix,

Ariz.

Nicholas Villareal, 26, of

Laveen, Ariz. was sentenced in

federal court on September 10,

2008, to 78 months in prison by

U.S. District Judge Mary Murguia.

Villareal had pleaded guilty on

April 3, 2008 to Assault with a

Dangerous Weapon.

The facts showed that on

January 17, 2006, Phoenix Police

responded to a car-jacking in

Phoenix. A description of the

stolen vehicle was broadcast and

police eventually identified the ve-

hicle that Mr. Villareal had stolen.

Police helicopters responded to

assist with the case. While fleeing

from police, Villareal drove the ve-

hicle to the Gila River Indian

Reservation, where tribal officers

joined in the pursuit.

The stolen vehicle was

eventually stopped. Police tried to

apprehend Villareal. Villareal re-

fused to comply with the police.

He then used a sawed off shotgun

and fired in the air, near the police

helicopter. He also fired in the di-

rection of a tribal officer. A tribal

officer returned fire, shot Villareal

in the leg and Villareal was ulti-

mately arrested. No law enforce-

ment officers were injured.

The 78 month sentence

was ordered to be served consec-

utive to a state sentence of 4.5

years prison for the offense that

happened in state jurisdiction.

Thus, defendant was sentenced to

a combined prison term of 11

years in prison for this crime

spree.


case was conducted by the Gila

River Police Department and the

Phoenix Police Department. The

prosecution was handled by

Sharon Sexton, Assistant U.S. At-

torney, District of Arizona, Phoenix,

Ariz.

Laveen man sentenced to 7 years for assault, an-other gets 78 months

PHOENIX - Officials from various fed-

eral, tribal and state agencies hosted

the inaugural training academy for

new tribal gaming agents the week of

September 11, 2008 at the Mazatzal

Hotel and Casino in Payson, Ariz.

The first of its kind in the

United States, the Arizona Tribal Gam-

ing Regulators Alliance Training Acad-

emy provides new tribal gaming

agents and regulators a better under-

standing of casino operations and the

multiple expectations of their job.

Fifteen Arizona tribes operate

22 casinos in Arizona and generated

$1.94 billion in revenue in fiscal year

2007. Since the Arizona Tribal-State

Gaming Compact went into effect in

2003, tribes have contributed more

than $430 million to state and local

governments.

Forty-five gaming agents and

representatives from 13 tribal gaming

offices attended the training.

The instruction and curriculum

were coordinated by the Arizona Tribal

Gaming Regulators Alliance, the Ari-

zona Department of Gaming and the

U.S. Attorney’s Office. Arizona is the

only federal district in the U.S. with a

dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorney who

prosecutes casino related crimes and

who also works closely with state and

tribal gaming regulators to provide

unique and useful training opportuni-

ties. Organizers hope to provide this

type of training every six months for

new gaming agents.

“This academy is designed to

provide agents with the tools they’ll

need to protect the integrity of a $2 bil-

lion a year industry,” stated U.S. Attor-

ney Diane J. Humetewa. “We hope

the cooperative approach we’ve im-

plemented with tribal and state gam-

ing regulators and our office can serve

as a model for other jurisdictions.”

The Academy curriculum in-

cludes Introduction to Gaming; the Ari-

zona Gaming Compact; Indian

Gaming Regulatory Act; Tribal Sover-

eignty; Problem Gambling; Self-Exclu-

sion Program; Gaming Law

(prosecution, criminal, arrest, and de-

tention); Introduction to Casino Opera-

tions; Licensing Process; Auditing,

Inspection and Compliance; Ethics;

Professionalism; Code of Conduct;

Sexual Harassment; Cheats and

Scams; Investigations and Interview-

ing; Report Writing; Introduction to

Table Games; Slot Operations; Sur-

veillance and Minimum Internal Con-

trol Standards.

“The Arizona Tribal Gaming

Regulators Alliance (ATGRA) Five Day

Training Academy that began this

week at Tonto Apache in Payson was

designed to provide Tribal Gaming

Regulators basic gaming regulatory

skills to inspect, audit and investigate

gaming activities on the casino floor,”

said Courtney Moyah, president of

ATGRA. “These regulatory skills will

enhance the protection of Tribal as-

sets, preserve the integrity of gaming

services to the public, and insure that

unsuitable persons are kept out of the

gaming activities. The Training Acad-

emy will also provide Tribal regulators

a broad background and perspective

of the history of Indian gaming law

and related gaming regulations at the

federal and state level.”

“ATGRA gives recognition and

appreciation to our Arizona Tribal

leaders and the Arizona Indian Gam-

ing Association in their endeavor to

improve and standardize the manage-

ment of gaming regulation,” added

Moyah. “ATGRA also recognizes the

professional training services offered

by our member Tribes, the U.S. Attor-

ney’s Office, the National Indian Gam-

ing Commission, and the Arizona

Department of Gaming.”

“This innovative Arizona train-

ing model—which involves a partner-

ship and sharing of expertise between

tribal, state and federal authorities—is

unique to Arizona,” said Paul A. Bullis,

Director of the Arizona Department of

Gaming. “We believe this is the first

training academy of its kind in the na-

tion.”

This training may also serve

as a deterrent to employee theft.

Adam Thomas Vega, 30, of Tucson,

Ariz., was charged on September 3,

2008 in an 18-count indictment for al-

legedly stealing over $664,000 from

one of the Desert Diamond Casinos in

Tucson. While employed as a slot

floor person at the casino, Vega al-

legedly created 585 fraudulent jackpot

override tickets and submitted the

jackpot tickets to the casino cage

cashier in exchange for cash.


GILA RIVER POLICE DEPARTMENT

MONTHLY MANAGEMENT DATA

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

CRIMINAL DATA

ASSAULT - OFFENSES REPORTED 12.20% 24.80%

26.90% 18.10%

FORGERY - OFFENSES REPORTED -100% -75%

Same -100%

CRIMINAL - OFFENSES REPORTED 50% -8.10%

44.40% -13.10%

WEAPONS - OFFENSES REPORTED Same -9.70%

33.30% -35.10%

SEXUAL - OFFENSES REPORTED Same 21.70%

CONDUCT ARRESTS MADE

W/CHILDREN 100% -66.60%

D.U.I. - OFFENSES REPORTED -9% -23.50%

-9% -23.50%

LIQUOR - OFFENSES REPORTED 33.30% 3.27%

LAWS ARRESTS MADE 66.60% -6.70%

DISORDER. OFFENSES REPORTED 11.70% 16.80%

CONDUCT ARRESTS MADE -75% -10.80%

CHILD - OFFENSES REPORTED -50% -2.20%

ABUSE ARRESTS MADE Same -62.50%

ARPA - OFFENSES REPORTED Same Same

VIOLATIONS ARRESTS MADE Same Same

CURFEW - OFFENSES REPORTED -60% 72.70%

ARRESTS MADE -75% 64.20%

DRUG - OFFENSES REPORTED 46.60% 19.20%

OFFENSES ARRESTS MADE Same 6.40%

ALL OTHER - OFFENSES REPORTED -11.60% 31.30%

OFFENSES ARRESTS MADE -12.50% 22.90%133 152 1,013 781

9551,392198175

6 6 77 72

5

8 104 84

2 8 14

15

2 5 11 3

0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0

0 0 3 8

1 2 43 44

4 16 66 74

17 15 95 79

9 3 69 74

9 6 61 59

85

10 11 65 85 ARRESTS MADE

10 11 65

1 0 1 3

3 3 23 18

37 41

24 37 ARRESTS MADE 6

5 5

4

9 5 33 38

46 23 247 269

DAMAGE ARRESTS MADE

26 19 132

0 2 4

0 0 0

%

(No weapons) ARRESTS MADE

ARRESTS MADE

108

16

3

233

CURRENT MONTH LAST MONTH % YEAR TO DATE PRIOR YEAR

57 50 310

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

+ OR - TO DATE + OR -

HOMICIDE - OFFENSES REPORTED 0 1 -100% 5 2 60%

ARRESTS MADE 0 1 -100% 2 0 100%

RAPE - OFFENSES REPORTED 5 1 80% 12 11 8%

ARRESTS MADE 0 0 Same 0 1 -100%

ASSAULT - OFFENSES REPORTED 12 5 58% 65 87 -25.20%

(Weapons) ARRESTS MADE 7 1 85.70% 32 44 -27.20%

ROBBERY - OFFENSES REPORTED 0 0 Same 6 9 -33.30%

ARRESTS MADE 0 0 Same 2 1 50%

BURGLARY-OFFENSES REPORTED 9 7 22.20% 52 73 -28.70%

ARRESTS MADE 0 1 -100% 5 9 -44.40%

THEFT - OFFENSES REPORTED 30 37 -18.90% 232 164 29.30%

ARRESTS MADE 2 3 -33% 9 9 Same

MV THEFT-OFFENSES REPORTED 13 21 -38.00% 66 137 -52%

ARRESTS MADE 0 4 -100% 9 16 -44%

TOTALS - OFFENSES REPORTED 409 400 2.20% 2,872 2,366 17.60%

ARRESTS MADE 215 234 -8% 1,556 1,368 12.00%

ARREST / DETENTION DATA CURRENT MONTH LAST MONTH % R TO DATE PRIOR YEAR %

+ OR - + OR -

ADULTS - FELONY 3 7 -57% 33 23 30%

MISDEMEANOR 179 194 -7.70% 1,238 1,052 15.00%

TOTAL ADULT 182 201 -9.40% 1,271 1,055 16.90%

JUVENILES - FELONY 0 0 Same 0 4 -100

MISDEMEANOR 33 33 Same 285 274 3.80%

TOTAL JUVENILE 33 33 Same 285 278 2.40%

Not only do teens who use alcohol oftenprogress to addictive behavior later in life, theyare— according to the article “Alcoholism: Clinicaland Experimental Research” (Aug. 2005) from Al-bert Einstein College of Medicine — “at a higher riskfor developing mental illnesses such as depression,suicide, and psychoticism as adults.” Among 12-17year-olds who were current drinkers, 31 percent ex-hibited extreme levels of psychological distress and39 percent exhibited serious behavioral problems. •12-16 year old girls who were current drinkerswere four times more likely than their non-drinkingpeers to suffer depression. •12-17 Suicide attempts among heavy-drinkingadolescents were three to four times greater thanamong non-drinkers. •12-18 Among 8th grade girls who drink heavily, 37percent report attempting suicide, whereas 11 per-cent of girls who do not drink report attempting sui-

cide. Those who start drinking before age 15 are

more than 10 times more likely to get in physicalfights during or after using alcohol.

Alcohol-related injuries are the leadingcause of death among youth. Approximately 5,000people under age 21 die each year from causes re-lated to alcohol use.

Alcohol use among children is strongly cor-related with violence, poor academic performance,unwanted sexual advances, illicit substance use andother dangers. In fact, alcohol use by teens is one ofthe strongest predictors of unintentional teen in-jury—the main cause of death for people under age21, be it by motor vehicle crashes, homicide or sui-cide.

Alcoholism is a terrible fate for a young per-son. They become irritable and moody, as the crav-ing for the next drink is a constant nagging

presence. Getting the next drink becomes more im-portant than grades, sports, or other activities he orshe used to enjoy.

In addition to alcoholism, teens that drinkare far more likely to try illegal drugs. In fact, re-search shows that 67 percent of teens that drink be-fore the age of 15 will go on to use illegal drugs.They are 22 times more likely to use marijuana, and50 times more likely to use cocaine.

This information is brought to you by theDraw The Line campaign. Drawyourline.com.

Please join the Gila River PreventionCoalition at our upcoming meetings. All meet-ings are from 10 am – noon. September 23: Dis-trict 4 Service Center. For more information callthe Gila River Behavioral Health Authority at520-562-3321, ext 7031.

Underage drinking linked to mental health problems

JTG:jlu 898499.1 9/4/2008

NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION

TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF COOLIDGE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 21 OF

PINAL COUNTY, ARIZONA:

A special election will be held in Coolidge Unified School District No. 21 of Pinal County, Arizona, on November 4, 2008, at the following polling places:

Precinct Polling Place

Coolidge NE Coolidge Women's Club, 240 W. Pinkley Avenue, Coolidge

Coolidge NW Coolidge Community Center, 670 W. Pima Avenue, Coolidge

Coolidge S HoHoKam Mobile Village, 1925 S. Arizona Boulevard, Coolidge

Randolph St. Paul Church of God in Christ, 3627 E. Bell Avenue, Coolidge

Central Arizona College Central Arizona College Student Services Center, M-101 8470 N. Overfield

Road, Coolidge

11-Mile Corner Pinal County Fairgrounds Building #3, 512 S. 11 Mile Corner Road, Casa Grande

Florence S Jr. High Multi Purpose Room, 225 S. Orlando Street, Florence

Cactus Forest Desert Gardens RV Oasis, 9668 N. Highway 79, Florence

Blackwater District District #1 Service Center, 3745 E. Blackwater School Road, Coolidge

San Tan District District #4 Service Center, Sesame Road W. of Stotonic Road, Sacaton

San Tan Park Mountain Vista Elementary School, 33622 N. Mountain Vista Boulevard,

Queen Creek

San Tan Heights San Tan Heights Elementary School, 2500 W. San Tan Heights Boulevard,

Queen Creek

The polls will open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. The purpose of the election is to permit the qualified

electors of the District to vote on authorizing the District to:

1. Adopt a budget which exceeds capital outlay revenue limit for a period of not to exceed seven (7) years in an

amount not to exceed $1,000,000. To fund the increase in the District's budget would require an estimated tax rate of $0.27 per $100 of assessed valuation used for secondary property tax purposes. In future years the amount of

the increase will be as provided by law.

2. Issue and sell $55,000,000 principal amount of school improvement bonds of the District. The estimated

average tax rate for the proposed bond authorization is $0.45.

Any qualified elector is eligible for early voting. Early voting materials may be obtained by contacting the Pinal County Elections Department, Post Office Box 1592, Florence, Arizona 85232, (520) 866-7555. For more

information about the foregoing, please review A.R.S. §§ 15-481, 15-482, 15-491 and 35-454, or contact the

Executive Director of Business and Planning, Coolidge Unified School District at (520) 723-2044.

Training academy for tribal gaming agents held at Mazatzal


Tempe Butte (“A” Mountain), Tempe,

Arizona, where the students and faculty of Ari-

zona State University, along with their friends,

gather to watch the warriors of Sun Devil Sta-

dium take on the braves of their opposing foes.

Today, these sporting events rarely

shed blood and both the victor and the van-

quished return to their homes. They will do

battle another day.

This wasn’t the circumstance in the

bloody encounter between the Pima and the

Apache Indians at Tempe Butte in 1851. On

that particular occasion, at least one Pima was

wounded and three Apaches lost their lives.

How do we know of this violent and

bloody event that took place over 150 years

ago? Who prepared the report and upon what

was it recorded? Intriguing questions, indeed,

but they can and will be answered. The reader

will find the answers equally as intriguing as the

questions.

The reader of this account must recog-

nize that very few records or calendars of per-

sonal or tribal interest were kept by the Indians

of Southern Arizona. At the turn of the century

a mere handful of records are known to have

existed. Five, the majority, were located

amongst the Pima (Akimel O’odham) Indians.

The Maricopa (Pee Posh) are known to have

kept at least one record. Those families recog-

nized today as Maricopa, are an amalgam or

composite of five tribes that formerly lived

along the lower Colorado River and Gila River

area. They relocated to the land of the Pimas

around the beginning of the 19th century. The

Tohono O’odham (Papago) of southwestern

Arizona, are a desert people, not a bean peo-

ple, like they had been called in the past. They

are also known to have kept at least one

record. Tradition suggests that these tribes

may have had others, but they have vanished

with time. Some were lost, but most were

buried with their

makers or burned,

as was the Indian

custom. The record

keeper prepared,

maintained and related the historical events he

had preserved. Hence, when the record

keeper, the village historian, died, his record

died with him. They were both usually buried

together.

Of the known Pima record keepers, two

were from the Salt River area east of Phoenix.

Owl Ear was one of the them. He, as well as

the other keeper, were very old men at the time

they were called upon to share their histories.

Juan Thomas, from Blackwater, also main-

tained an account of events. Another record

keeper lived at Gila Crossing. Paul Head is

known to have maintained a record, as did

Benjamin Thomas of Casa Blanca.

The recording by these Pima elders, as

well as those prepared by the Maricopa and To-

hono O’odham historians, were of events of in-

terest to them personally. Theirs was not a

tribal assignment, but was a matter of personal

interest and choice. Their record was not re-

tained in a ledger or a notebook. Nor were

they kept on a string of shells or beads. Not

even a cord of many knots was kept, nor in-

scriptions on a piece of skin or leather. What

they used may seem unusual, but they ingen-

iously utilized material that was available.

Their account of important dates and events

was kept on a stick or cane. Willow, pine and

even sahuaro ribs were the frequent wood of

choice. Their ledger is recognized or acknowl-

edged today as a “record rod” or a “calendar

stick.“

The stick or cane utilized by these men

was generally between three and four feet in

length. The writing, or marking on it, took the

form of notches, scratches and carvings. The

various notches and cuttings served as indica-

tors and varied in size and length. The record

stick often contained dots and symbols of dif-

ferent colors. As special indicators, they were

placed at specific locations on the rod. Some

dots were of a red color, while others of blue,

white or whatever the recorder chose to serve

as a reminder to him. As record keepers, histo-

rians of the day, the men highlighted what they

considered to be important events. Warfare

was always included in a Pima historian’s log.

The same was true for the Maricopa and To-

hono O’odham historians. A figure of a man

was often included. The fierce battle with the

Apache Indians at Tempe Butte was one of

those important occasions.

The notches, carvings and various col-

ored indicators, served as memory aids to the

stick’s owner and interpreter. The sight of the

stick and the touch of its symbols was impor-

tant in the relating of the story contained

thereon. The different years, for example,

were noted by deep notches across the stick.

They were in essence, comparable to notes or

shorthand. The Indian historian would review

his meticulously kept stick and then share with

his audience the important story recorded

thereon. In his own tongue, he would begin,

“that notch means,” etc. There was one sym-

bol that meant the same thing each time and

that was a “T.” It indicated that there had been

a “Tiswin” drinking session, often by all present.

The fermented juice from the fruit of the

sahuaro or agave, made an excellent festival

drink. To anyone, other than the stick’s owner,

the notches, scratches, dots and colors meant

no sense. Perhaps in time, one might under-

stand what the “T” meant, but likely only that

one symbol.

One of the elderly Pima men, who was

living at the time of the Tempe Butte battle,

recorded the dramatic encounter of the day. In

1851, he was a young man, some 28 years of

age. In his older years, following the turn of the

century, he was called upon to share the histor-

ical “writings” on his calender stick or record

rod. By looking at the stick and then giving his

interpretation of its notches, dots and colors,

the battle was recalled. It was just as exciting

and alive in his rendering, as the day it took

place, over 50 years previous.

One could compare his explanation to a

broadcaster announcing an event at the sta-

dium of Arizona State University by means of

modern radio. You hear the excitement and

feel the emotion, as expressed by the speaker,

The Pimas and Apaches BattleA historical account of an 1851 battle

By Don M. MahanSpecial to the GRIN


instead of viewing the action in person or on a

television set. It could also be compared to

having the day’s happening played back later

on a cassette or tape recording. The event ac-

tually happened, it is history. So to with the va-

riety of information on the record rods or

calendar sticks of the Arizona Indians.

But first, some background or history of

this old Pima Indian, Owl Ear our historian, now

long deceased. He was born around 1814.

His birth and youth were spent along the Gila

River. As an adult, Owl Ear lived the majority of

his life at Gila Crossing. His older years, until

his death in 1914, were along the Salt River

east of Scottsdale, Arizona, where he relocated

to about 1872. His tribe, the Pima Indians and

various other Indian tribes of Arizona, were fre-

quently at war with each other.

The Maricopas were their friends and

close neighbors. The Pimas were also on good

relations with their relatives, the Tohono O’od-

ham, who lived near Tucson and southwestern

Arizona. Alone or together, these tribes often

did battle with the Quechan (Yuma) Indians that

lived along the lower Colorado River. The Mo-

haves (A’ha Macav/Macave) who lived along

the upper Colorado River, were also their ene-

mies. Frequently the Pimas fought the Apache

Indians, their deadly enemy. The Zuni word for

enemy is Apachu, although the Quechan word

means fighting men. The Zuni term was likely

the origin or source of the name, Apache (Inde,

Dne). On occasion the Navajo (Dine or Dineh)

was the Pima’s opponent in battle. The Zuni

word Nabaju was applied to the Dine by the

Spaniards. The Navajos on occasion, joined

force with the Apaches, in a joint venture

against the Pimas. The same alliance likely at-

tacked the Maricopa. As far as the Tohono

O’odham were concerned, the Apache was

their number one enemy.

The warfare between the opposing

tribes was fought, often, just for the sake of bat-

tle. It was like an outing or sporting event for

the men. Women occasionally joined in the

fray. On other ventures, the battles were the

result of a raiding party. Whether a selected

battle or a raid, the Indians all loved a surprise

attack. They also preferred the winter months

for striking unexpectedly. The weather was

extra cold and often accompanied by wind and

stormy conditions. Families would be found

defenseless, huddled together in the shelter of

their village. Along with fallen warriors, women

and children were the frequent victims. Many

were brutally beaten to death with clubs. Their

skulls literally bashed in.

These mortal enemies lived some dis-

tance from each other and it would take up to a

week or more, of walking, before their fierce

and deadly encounters took place. The bow

and arrow, along with knives and clubs were

the weapons of choice. As to the use of the

club, the Indians along the Colorado River, in

particular the Mohaves, were quite adept.

When an enemy attack took place, the event

resembled somewhat the comic strip character

Alley Oop with a huge replica of a masher that

mom used on her potatoes. The result was

similar. Celebrations would take place when

the victorious warriors returned home.

The majority of the notches, scratches

and dots, colored or otherwise, placed by the

various recorders on their personal “record rod”

or “calendar stick” were of battles. Bloody and

violent encounters that they believed should be

memorialized.

The stick, from which the account of the

battle at Tempe Butte was taken, was began as

a calendar and event keeper, in 1833. The

Pima Indian historian was, at that time, but a

young lad of about ten years of age. By 1851,

he had been keeping account of events of in-

terest, for some eighteen years. He had care-

fully notched, marked and colored his rod about

a quarter of its future length of events.

The significant happening of 1851 defi-

nitely needed to be retained. A small raiding

party of Apaches had set out to steal horses

from the Pimas. This endeavor proved to be

unsuccessful, hence they changed their quest

to the Pima’s cattle, which they herded off in

the darkness of night. Mission accomplished,

the Apaches quickly and quietly, headed to-

wards home. The following morning the Pimas

discovered their cattle missing and soon were

in hot pursuit. The excited war party, seeking

recovery of their animals, as well as

vengeance, began to close the distance be-

tween themselves and the fleeing Apaches.

Whereupon, the raiding party of Apaches felt

extremely uncomfortable and quickly aban-

doned the stolen cattle and sought safety on

Tempe Butte. The Apaches may have felt quite

secure, as a little stone wall or breastwork had

been hastily setup on the hill, about one or two

years earlier, by a previous raiding party. The

butte was quickly surrounded by the angry

Pimas.

The Apaches may have had a few guns.

Prior to the year 1851 they had already used

them in battle against the Pimas. Whether this

raiding party had any is unknown, but they

would have had lances along with their bows

and arrows. As to the Pimas, they had as their

weapons a few bows and arrows, along with

many sharp sticks. Their first acquaintance

with the gun was in 1853. This fact is noted on

the record rod of our Salt River historian.

Screaming and shouting, hot words of

anger were first exchanged by the two hostile

parties. The air was quickly filled, not with

choice words, but with flying lances, rocks and

numerous arrows. Kicking and jabbing, along

with the final swinging of a deadly club soon

followed. Then all was silent. Celebrations

would soon began.

Let us now focus our attention, although

briefly, back to the turn of the century, as we lis-

ten carefully to the old Pima Indian. He sets

there in his favorite chair. Quietly, he looks

over his hand crafted account of events, his

calendar stick. Then, without any hesitation, he

rakes his thumbnail across the year notch. In

his native tongue, he next begins to speak,

sharing the historical account of the Tempe

Butte battle of 1851. The interpreter, sitting

close by, then takes the same stick and in simi-

lar fashion, digs his nail into the same notch

and repeats the elderly Piman’s account, this

time in English. To the observer it seems that

both the older gentleman and the younger in-

terpreter have endowed the stick and its notch

with a definite personality in their minds. From

the record rod, that unique moment in time is

simply explained:

“One night four Apaches came to a

Pima village to steal horses, but the Pimas had

tied their horses close to their kees (huts of

brush and grass.) So the Apaches came to the

corral and turned out the cattle and drove them

toward Tempe Butte.

The Pimas followed in the morning.

When they came up, the Apaches left the cattle

and ran to the Butte.

Pimas followed and surrounded the

Apaches on top of the Butte. They killed three

Apaches. One Pima was wounded in the leg,

but he got well.”

The account as recorded, although

brief, is filled with drama and excitement. As

the elderly Pima historian related the account,

one could easily visualize the Apache stealthily

entering the Pima village. Quickly and quietly

they seized their enemies’ prized cattle. The

raiding party then silently disappeared into the

night.

The light of day revealed the emptiness

of the Pima corral. It also shone brightly on the

prints of the departed Apaches and the Pima

cattle.

Blood would soon flow when the Pimas

and Apaches did battle on Tempe Butte.

Tempe Butte apparently was a favorite

place of refuge for raiding Apaches. It had

been used sometime in 1849-1850 by a small

party fleeing from an unsuccessful attack on

the Pima village at Gila Crossing. Again, in

1851, it was a temporary, but deadly place of

shelter, as we’ve just noted. Then a few years

later, near the end of 1857, a band of Apaches

were surrounded on the butte and all killed, ex-

cept one who escaped into the brush. In the

early years, a violent death often awaited those

that scaled the small butte in Tempe, Arizona.

Many thousands of people have been to

the top of Tempe Butte in these modern years.

Looking in any direction, they observe a

sprawling number of cities. Turning their eyes

directly below the butte, they might see a sport-

ing event of one type or another taking place.

Perhaps an event that is collegiate or even pro-

fessional. Unknown to them, immediately be-

neath their feet may lay the evidence or relics

of the long past and forgotten battle of 1851.

Minute particles and bone fragments may still

remain. The same may be said for the

weapons expended that day or in other battles.

The blood stained soil, overlooking the modern

stadium, is still there. It is all forensic evidence

that testifies to the integrity and accuracy of

one man and his life long interest in recording

historical accounts. Whether one chooses to

call his ledger or memory aid, a “record rod” or

a “calendar stick,” really doesn’t matter. His in-

genious material and meticulous manner of in-

dicating important events does.

Our thanks and appreciation are in

order to the Pima, Maricopa and Tohono O’od-

ham historians. In particular, the elderly Pima

gentleman who recorded, maintained and inter-

preted for posterity, the dramatic account of

the 1851 encounter, “when the Pima and

Apache Indians did battle on Tempe Butte.”

Don M. Mahan, a native Arizonanhas written over a dozen historicalmanuscripts on the Southwest. Hismost recent manuscripts were pub-lished by “La Herencia”, in SantaFe, New Mexico and by the Univer-sity of Arizona for the BoyceThompson Arboretum. Don lives inPhoenix, Arizona.


September 3, 2008 – Attendees at

TribalNet’s 9th Annual conference

will experience a wide variety of

learning sessions and trend setting

technology information during the

four day event.

The conference will be held

September 29 – October 2 at the

Radisson Fort McDowell Resort &

Casino in Scottsdale, AZ and fea-

tures three focused tracks for

those in tribal government, casino

or general IT operations. High-

lighting the conference this year

are two well known industry lead-

ers that are sure to have an impact

on the future of tribal IT depart-

ments, Mark Sunday, CIO of Ora-

cle Corporation and Chris

Cummiskey, State of Arizona CIO

Sunday will be the keynote

speaker on September 30 at 9

a.m. “Mark’s presentation is titled

“Building for the next generation-

technology, service & environmen-

tal strategies” and is focused on

just that – what tribes can do for

future generations that will have a

maximum impact in technology but

minimal impact on the environ-

ment,” said Shannon Bouschor,

TribalNet Director and Coordinator.

For almost 30 years, Ora-

cle has been helping customers

manage business systems and in-

formation with reliable, secure, and

integrated technologies. The com-

pany is the world’s leading supplier

of software for information man-

agement, and the world’s second

largest independent software com-

pany. Oracle technology can be

found in nearly every industry, and

in the data centers of 98 of the

Fortune 100 companies. Oracle is

the first software company to de-

velop and deploy 100 percent in-

ternet-enabled enterprise software

across its entire product line: data-

base, business applications, and

application development and deci-

sion support tools.

Then, on October 1, atten-

dees will have the pleasure of

learning about Arizona Governor

Janet Napolitano’s technology

agenda from keynote speaker,

Chris Cummiskey. Cummiskey’s

remarks will highlight several Ari-

zona government technology proj-

ects and their impact on tribal

lands including:

•Arizona Health-e Connection

•Arizona 2-1-1

•E-Government Development

•Electronic Mapping

Governor Napolitano has made

government innovation a corner-

stone of her administration. Serv-

ing in the dual role of State CIO

and Director of the Government In-

formation Technology Agency,

Cummiskey serves as a key

change agent for the Governor to

advance her agenda of govern-

ment innovation and transforma-

tion through technology.

Technology can have a power-

ful and positive impact on the lives

of Arizonans and the achieve-

ments of the State can serve as

best practices for tribal govern-

ments. During his tenure as State

CIO, Cummiskey has formed pow-

erful coalitions of business, educa-

tion, non-profit, government and

community stakeholders to swiftly

transform government service de-

livery and implement technology

innovation.

In addition to these inform-

ative keynote presentations that

will kick off each day of sessions,

attendees can choose from sev-

eral breakout and roundtables ses-

sions tailored specifically to their

position in technology and tribal or-

ganizations. Over 60 key technol-

ogy vendors will be available for

one on one meeting to see first

hand the emerging technologies

specific to the tribal industry at a

two-day tradeshow.

Two bookends of the con-

ference include value added train-

ing courses hosted by IBM and

Microsoft available to all confer-

ence attendees. An AS/400 full

day certification program for the

gaming industry will be offered on

Monday September 29 by IBM and

a condensed version of Microsoft’s

SharePoint training course will

close the conference on Thursday

October 2.

The agenda and registra-

tion is available online at:

www.tribalnetonline.com. For

more information on the 2008 con-

ference, please contact info@trib-

alnetonline.com.

Mark Sunday and Chris Cummiskey announced as Keynote presen-ters at TribalNet 9


TITLE 16

CHAPTER 7

ANIMAL ORDINANCE

Enacted by Ordinance GR- -08

16.701 AUTHORITY; PURPOSE; APPLICABILITY

A. 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 Community and to provide structure for the Community to enact ordinances

governing conduct within the exterior boundaries of the Reservation.

B. 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

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

and to preserve the Public’s peace, health and safety.

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

boundaries of the Reservation, except for those dogs utilized by the Gila River

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

Community Police Department shall be subject only to Section 16.705 of this

Ordinance.

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

16.702 DEFINITIONS

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

control by the owner thereof.

B. “Animal” means any living animal, including Domestic Animals, but does not

include Livestock.

C. “Animal Control Officer” means any person designated by the Animal Control

Program to enforce this Ordinance.

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

this Ordinance.

E. “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.

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

G. “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 procedures 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.

H. “Court” means the Gila River Indian Community Court.

A copy of this proposed ordinance in its entirety is on file and available for review at

all District Service Center Co-ordinators’ offices and the Community Secretary’s

office.

**** Proposed Legislation ****

The Gila River Indian Community Council is considering revi-

sions to the Animal Ordinance.

A copy of the proposed revised ordinance in its entirety is avail-

able for review at all District Service Centers and the Community Coun-

cil Secretary’s Office.

Community members may comment on the proposed revised or-

dinance by contacting their Council member(s) and/or Terrance Evans,

the Chairperson of the Legislative Standing Committee.

Written comments may also be sent to: GRIC Law Office, c/o

Rebecca Hall, Post Office Box 97, Sacaton, AZ 85247.

Tribal LiaisonSalary Range: $43,239 $73,779

The Arizona Department of Housing is seeking a Tribal Liaison who will be responsible for theactivities of the tribal housing outreach project. This position will be involved in complexresearch, analysis and program recommendations regarding tribal housing policies andprograms that relate to housing development, rehabilitation and other housing related serviceson Native American reservations in Arizona. Project duties will include dissemination ofinformation on State efforts and available resources to tribes, response to technical assistancerequests, identification of partnership opportunities for State and private sector entities toincrease affordable housing opportunities on Tribal lands. Candidates must have knowledge ofresearch methods and data analysis techniques, housing development and housing servicerelated planning and policy as well as program development. Knowledge of American Indiantribes and tribal housing development and service delivery systems is required. For a completejob announcement, please visit www.housingaz.com. Interested candidates must submit aresume, list of references and letter of interest to: Lori Moreno, HR Administrator, ArizonaDepartment of Housing, 1110 W. Washington Street, Suite 310, Phoenix, Arizona 85007. NOPHONE CALLS.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

October

3 Opening Ceremony- 2008

Native American Recognition Days.

6:00pm -9:00pm. Salt River Community

Building, Longmore & McDowell. Free

Admission, Free Party, Fireworks. 480-

850-8061.

7 The Gila River Prevention

Coalition would like to invite you to their

October 7 meeting at D-5 Service

Center. 520-315-3441.

11 Native American Connections

Parade. Parade Route: Oak and 3rd St. to

Indian School Park in Phoenix. Begins at

9:00am. 602-254-3247.

18 Native American Farmers

Market. Pueblo Grande Museum. 4619 E.

Washington in Phoenix. 602-495-0901.

Free Event

22 10th Annual Native Ameri

can Women’s Health Expo. Held at PIMC

602-263-1602. Free event.

24 Gila Rivers “Annual Trail

of Doom Run” Sr Race, 2M walk, 5K

run. Volunteers needed. D-3 Wellness

Center 520-562-2025.

24-26 25th Anniversary Roy Track Me-

morial Mesa Powwow. Pioneer Park-

525 E. Main St, Mesa. 602-799-0260.

25 8th Annual AZPC of AISES

Golf Tournament. Wigwam Resort.602-

741-7791

Public Notice

Lace up your walking shoes and hit the road in the fi ght against diabetes by participating

in one of two fun fundraising walks on Saturday, September 27th. Gila River Casinos is proud

to once again team with the American Diabetes Association for Arizona’s premier walking

event to raise money to fi ght diabetes. Proceeds from this event will be used for research,

education, advocacy and ultimately fi nding a cure for this devastating disease.

For more information about diabetes or Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes,

please call 1-888-DIABETES (1-888-342-2383) or visit www.diabetes.org/stepout.

vol. 11 no. 9 sacaton, arizona sept. 29 - oct. 2, …gilariver.org/grin/sept08grin.pdftv, a computer...

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