PARKER — Leaders of the Colorado River Indian Tribe met with Senator Kirsten Cinema on Wednesday to discuss a list of concerns, including water and the infrastructure to supply it, which leaders called the most important issues. .
The Tribe, with its 4,270 members, also took this opportunity to commit to continued support for tribal sovereignty and commitment to the Control of Inflation Act and the bipartisan Infrastructure Act to water management and conservation, transportation, broadband and public transportation. Thank you to Cinema State of Arizona for making sure to include the funding for the film. Other infrastructure for tribal and rural communities.
CRIT leaders said they were particularly concerned that decisions about managing the Colorado River were being made without tribal input, despite their voluntary efforts to conserve water and the environment. left part of an allotment of about 720,000 acre-feet Act on Lake Mead to prevent further reductions outlined in the Drought Contingency Plan.
“No one noticed that 15% of that water was coming from CRIT,” said City Councilman Robert Page. “We are farmers and it was a difficult decision to remove land from the production area to save water.”
“We are tied to Colorado,” added CRIT President Amelia Flores. “The river is in bad shape right now.”
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The Colorado River is not only economically important to CRIT. Its waters are also central to the tribe’s culture and spiritual beliefs.
“No plan, no grand plan, works without tribal involvement,” Flores said.
Mr Page said the tribe was losing precious water due to a broken farm irrigation system. The Indian Affairs Department, which built the system and is responsible for its maintenance, has failed to maintain it, he said.
“To resolve BIA’s responsibilities, we must use the funds available for housing, welfare and other needs,” Page said.
Inconsistent Tribal Consultations
Tribal officials said federally mandated consultations remained spotty and inconsistent, despite promises by the Biden administration to engage in stronger and more meaningful consultations, including: Requirements for Agencies to Develop Consultation Plans.
However, tribe to tribe continue to report that the consultation process is not working. Consultations are often started too late or are just part of a project “checkbox” list that allows meaningful changes or mitigations.
“The Department of the Interior forgets that we are entitled to 20 percent of Arizona’s water,” Flores said.
“Our battle is to protect what we already have,” Page added.
Members of the Tribal Council also said they have not received compensation for water lost due to leaks or diverted to the Central Arizona Plan.
“We don’t get credit for letting the river run,” Flores said.
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Prime Minister Flores thanks Cinema for its efforts to support Colorado River Basin management and conservation programs and secure $4 billion in anti-inflation legislation for water management and conservation activities during prolonged drought bottom.
“I kept the bill quiet until that amount was included,” Cinema said.
Cinema has also been a major sponsor of other legislation that strengthens the ability of tribes to borrow water from conservation efforts, and has negotiated large sums of money for water conservation, building telecommunications infrastructure and repairing roads. Most recently, she worked with Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Rep. Lisa Markowski (R-Alaska) to Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Actpassed the Senate plenary session before the summer recess.
“87 votes voted in favor of India’s housing bill,” said Cinema.
Cinema also helped secure about $1.6 million for pedestrian safety, about $25 million for the rebuilding of 16 miles of Mojave Avenue on tribal land, and a fast track to serve La Paz County. It said it provided $25 million to build an affordable internet system.
Cinema Pledges to Support Tribal Sovereignty
The tribe also experiences frequent power outages, and Flores said the community needs more reliable power services. They are also very concerned that an illegal toxic waste facility is leaking into the groundwater.
Cinema said he would use his position as a senator to follow up on tribal concerns to hold the federal government accountable for compliance with the law on meaningful and consistent consultations.
“What I’ve heard from CRIT, and what I’ve heard from other tribal communities in Arizona, is that consultations are inconsistent and not always meaningful,” she said. “Congress can pass as many laws as it wants, but the only way to ensure that laws are followed is through accountability and transparency to ensure that government agencies are actually following them. to confirm.”
She said she wants to help tribes and small communities apply for funds to address these and other issues.
Cinema is also part of a task force of 14 senators from the Colorado River Basin, working to find solutions to ongoing problems on the river.
She said she would continue to support tribal sovereignty and said she has done so throughout her 20 years of public service. Cinema also said she would continue her fight to keep families and women and children safe by strengthening laws against violence against women.
She sponsored a bill to close the “boyfriend loophole,” which allows people convicted of domestic violence to keep their guns if they aren’t married to the victim. And Cinema said he will continue to work to stem the influx of fentanyl that has wreaked havoc on tribal communities and other communities in Arizona.
Flores asked Cinema if he would run for another term in Congress. “If so, CRIT is behind you,” she said.
Cinema did not respond to questions.
Debra Kroll reports on Indigenous communities at the intersection of climate, culture and commerce in Arizona and the Intermountain West. To reach the crawl, debra.krol@azcentral.com. follow her on her twitter @debkrol.
Reporting on indigenous issues where climate, culture and commerce intersect is supported by the Catena Foundation.
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