THE 30TH ANNUAL INDIAN NATIONS & TRIBES LEGISLATIVE DAY
By Harrison J. Bahe
On January 15th, 2025, the 30th Anniversary Indian Nations and Tribes Legislative Day event unfolded at the Arizona State Capitol in Downtown Phoenix. The Governor’s Office on Tribal Relations, in cooperation with representatives from the State’s Tribal Nations, annually facilitates an Indian Nations and Tribes Legislative Day on Wednesday of the first week of each regular legislative session. Invitations are extended to each member of the state legislature, Governor and other elected officials to pay tribute to the history and culture of the American Indian peoples and their contributions to the prosperity and cultural diversity of the United States.
It was a good day to be Indigenous at the state capitol! Hundreds of Indigenous people from the state of Arizona gathered on the east side of the state capitol as they eagerly awaited grand entry onto the Senate floor. The day began with a Joint-Protocol Session hosted by the Senate with floor privileges extended to tribal leaders to join their representatives during the session. The session began with the Posting of the Colors by the Pascua Yaqui Veterans Post 124 from Guadalupe. The Pledge of Allegiance was then recited by young students from the St. Peter Indian Mission School. An invocation was performed by Miss Indian Arizona Isabella Newman from the San Carlos Apache Nation. Some brief opening remarks were made by the Honorable Warren Petersen, the Senate President, and the Honorable Steve Montenegro, the Speaker of the House.
Honorable Amelia Flores, Chairwoman of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, took the Senate floor and gave an impassioned speech about the importance of Indigenous people within the state of Arizona. She touched on multiple subjects such as water rights, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, the drug epidemic, and the need for tribal involvement in state decisions. The Honorable Stephen Roe Lewis, Governor of the Gila River Indian Community also spoke about the importance of Indigenous involvement in state government. He also gave a warm-hearted shout out to his mother who was in attendance. She had a history in state government, and he followed in her footsteps. Last, but certainly not least, our very own Honorable President Sandra Pattea took the senate floor and gave passionate speech about the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation’s involvement in many of the state’s historic decisions from Indian Voting Rights, the defeat of the Orme Dam, and Indian Gaming Rights. To conclude the session, Former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary, acknowledged every tribe present within the chambers and reinforced the importance of Indigenous people to the state government.
Once the session ended, those in attendance flocked to the courtyard where lunch was provided by Emerson’s Fry Bread and Alyssa’s Kosin. Live entertainment was provided by the Cruz Band who reign from the Tohono O’odham Nation. Breakout sessions occurred afterward which discussed the Arizona Department of Transportation who greatly depend on knowledge-sharing and collaboration. Over 1,200 miles of Arizona’s state highway system crosses tribal lands. ADOT acknowledges and respects tribal sovereignty and strives to work with the Arizona tribes not as stakeholders but as partners. The final event to take place was a Youth Breakout session hosted by the Unity National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) which discussed the themes of Lighting the Fire for future generations to come.
