Bigfoot

GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY –April 13, 2010 – When people think of the BIGFOOT team of monster trucks, minds quickly turn to awesome power, insane wheelies, ravaged cars, crazy air and general monster truck mayhem.

The Complete Count Committee made it a point to inform Community members about the census at the Mul Chu Tha parade in Sacaton, AZ.

SACATON- “It’s in our hands,” is the slogan for the 2010 Census, and there is no place more indicative of that slogan than in Native American communities. The 2010 Census is in full operation with enumerators visiting residences throughout the Community. A snapshot of the Gila River Indian Community is taken when census workers visit homes to get accurate data on the population of all seven districts.

Group Gathered at the Phoenix Indian School Memorial Hall to Celebrate Indigenous

Shannon Rivers, D5, emceed to a small crowd which gathered at the Memorial Hall of the Phoenix Indian School to celebrate on Mar. 11, the 7th Annual Indigenous Peoples Day, hosted by the Nahuacalli Embassy of Indigenous Peoples, Phoenix.

mct

SACATON- The rides were spinning and the bulls were bucking at the 48th Annual Mul-Chu-Tha Fair & Rodeo from Mar. 19-21 2010. The event commenced under the theme, “Honoring our Ancestors” and for three days the Community hosted a multitude of activities including a parade, pow-wow, battle of the chicken scratch bands, and sports tournaments.

Shi Yan Quing gives a kung fu demonstration to the students of Blackwater

BLACKWATER-Blackwater School students were treated to a demonstration by Shaolin monks on Mar. 17. Mark Steuver, a former police officer, whose ordained name is Shi Yan Jian pronounced “sur yan ching” teaches martial arts classes in Casa Grande and Yuma.

Voices from the past

Over the years I have thought about some of the difficulties of growing up on the REZ. I really didn’t give it much thought at the time because I was too busy trying to figure out my own life. It was easier living day to day and realizing the importance of discipline and what it meant to me. As I got older and having lived a few years, there are some things that come to mind that continue to remind me of the way I was raised.

Cher Thomas

SACATON-The Miss Indian World pageant is an annual event that takes place in conjunction with the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow in Albuquerque, NM. Last years competition drew 25 contestants from tribes spanning across North America and First Nations Canada. This year the pageant starts on Tues, Apr. 20 and ends in crowning of the new Miss Indian World on Sat, Apr. 24.

This will be the first of its kind held on tribal lands to bring awareness to the different types of cancers that afflict our Communities, as well as honor survivors and loved ones who have been affected by the disease.

Prescott, Ariz. — Helios Education Foundation is investing $608,000 over four years in Prescott College’s Early Childhood Teacher Education Programs in Arizona’s rural areas. The program will focus on recruiting students of the Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona and the Tohono O’Odham Nation in Pima County.

PHOENIX, AZ (April 2010) – The Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa is the perfect celebration location for mothers this year with a Champagne Brunch, resort and spa specials designed just for her.

Wilma Mankiller

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Assistant Secretary Larry Echo Hawk expressed their deepest condolences to the family and friends of Wilma Mankiller, the former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, who passed away on Apr. 6, 2010, praising her as a dynamic and visionary leader dedicated to the wellbeing and betterment of her tribal community.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary Ken Salazar announced that the Department of the Interior has moved to the next stage in its plan of actions to develop a department- wide tribal nations consultation policy by constituting a Tribal Consultation Team. The Team will consist of 12 tribal officials and alternates representing federally recognized tribes in each Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) region along with representatives from each DOI Bureau or Office. Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk notified tribal leaders by letter on March 23 and requested nominations.

Phoenix– AZRE: Arizona Commercial Real Estate Magazine held its 5th Annual RED (Real Estate and Development) Awards on March 4 to recognize the biggest, best and most notable commercial real estate projects and transactions of 2009. The ceremony took place at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Phoenix, and was presented by Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, APS Solutions for Business and CBIZ – Mayer Hoffman McCann. The event sponsors were Clark Hill Legal and Professional Services, and The Weitz Company. The beverage sponsor was D.P. Electric.

Indian Country continues to celebrate passage of the historic health insurance reform law, which included the reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA). This law will improve the quality of health care and make it more accessible and affordable for the American people, including American Indians and Alaska Natives.

GRIN April 2010

- Veto power can work to give voice back to Community members

- Should the Executive Branch have Veto Authority?

- Five Tribes Peace Treaty Celebration

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