State and Tribal Leaders Hold First Senate Committee Meeting On Indian Country Issues

By Carrie Jung
Published: Wednesday, July 15, 2015 - 5:22pm
(photo courtesy of the State Senator Carlyle Begay's office)
Arizona's Ad-Hoc Committee On Indian Affairs met for the first time in Phoenix on Wednesday.

A group of tribal and state leaders met at the Capitol Wednesday to discuss some of the most critical issues facing Arizona’s Native communities. It was the first meeting for the newly formed State Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Indian Affairs.

The meeting was attended by four state senators and three tribal leaders. Among the discussion was the academic achievement gap facing the state’s Native students and the recent lawsuit filed by the Goldwater Institute against the Indian Child Welfare Act.

San Carlos Apache tribal chairman Terry Rambler is one of the committee members. He said he’s optimistic about the progress the group can make when tackling issues impacting the state’s Native communities.  

"I don’t just want to talk and complain," he said. "I want to be able to discuss issues that everyone can agree to work on and to solve."

While no official actions were taken, the committee did agree to write a letter of support to Congress to reauthorize the Indian School Bus Route Maintenance Program.