The Sourdough fire burned about 715  acres before it was contained June 8th.  The Sourdough Fire  started on Wednesday, June 5th. Ground crews and aircraft battled the flames north of Ehrenberg.  On June 6th, Nevada Team 3 took over management of the fire and provided extensive support in containment and securing the perimeter of the fire.  CRIT Chairwoman Amelia Flores and members of the Tribal Council were regularly briefed on the efforts to control and contain the fire.

CRIT Chairwoman Amelia Flores recently attended a tribal leader roundtable with United States Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz to support the designation of the proposed Chuckwalla National Monument and expansion of Joshua Tree National Park. The meeting took place in North Shore, California.

CRIT was invited by Chairman Thomas Tortez Jr. of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians.

Chairwoman Flores spoke about the importance of protecting the fragile landscape that would make up the Chuckwalla National Monument.

(Parker, Ariz.) The Colorado River Indian Tribes has broken ground on a new Head Start facility recognizing a dream that has taken years to realize. In 2009, the Tribal Council designated 12 acres for the permanent site and in the years that followed CRIT has worked jointly and tirelessly to get the necessary funding to make the project happen. The ceremony was held April 15th.

CRIT has had a Head Start program since 1965. Generations of former Head Start students and current students were on hand to attend the groundbreaking.
CRIT Chairwoman Amelia Flores said, “This ground has been blessed and is considered sacred; not only because the facility is being built on the grounds but because the land will become fertile soil for our young children. It will bring new life for generations to come, and for our children and babies to come to have hopes and dreams.”

More than 300 people attended the groundbreaking near the corner of Mohave Road and Navajo Avenue.

Attendees included Head Start representatives based in Washington, DC including Shaune Nicholls, and Trevondia Boykin, both of whom are Program Specialists with the American Indian/Alaska Native Head Start.

It was also a special day for Head Start Director Caroline Alcaida, her staff, and the Head Start Policy Council who were all in attendance. Following the groundbreaking, there was a children’s parade featuring the Head Start students as well as cultural performances representing the Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi, and Navajo tribes.

(Parker, Ariz.) The Colorado River Indian Tribes have taken a history making step to implement the Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022. At a ceremony on the CRIT Reservation April 26th, leadership from the Colorado River Indian Tribes, the State of Arizona, and the United States Department of the Interior signed agreements required under the act.

CRIT Chairwoman Amelia Flores and tribal leaders were joined by U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, and officials from the Department of the Interior and the Arizona Department of Water Resources. The agreements will move CRIT one step closer towards strengthening its sovereignty over its water resources to improve the lives of future generations of CRIT members while protecting the life of the river.

CRIT Chairwoman Amelia Flores said, “These agreements we are signing confirm and support what we have always done; make decisions based on what is best for the life of the river and for our people.” Flores added, “This is a significant event in the history of CRIT. These agreements clear the path for CRIT to be finally recognized as a central party in all future decisions regarding the Colorado River.”

Interior Secretary Haaland said, “I am thrilled to be here to celebrate this historic agreement between the US Department of the Interior, the Colorado River Indian Tribes, and the State of Arizona that will for the first time give the Colorado River Indian Tribes the ability to lease, exchange, or store a portion of its Colorado River entitlement. The agreement will enable CRIT to continue leading with collaborative strategies in support of the resilience of the Colorado River.”