The CRIT Department of Health and Social Services hosted its Health Fair on Wednesday, June 24, at Irataba Hall. The event brought together departments and programs from across the community to share helpful resources and important health information.

There was food, games, raffles, and free shaved ice provided by Uncle Phil’s Awesome Snow Shaved Ice. Guests also left with bags filled with informational flyers, recipes, and useful household items. It was great to see so many departments working together to support and connect with the community.

(more…)

Last week was filled with proud moments, happy tears, and celebrations as students across the community marked important milestones in their educational journeys.

The celebrations began Thursday, May 21, with the Parker Alternative Graduation ceremony that morning. Later that evening, families gathered again as students from Wallace Jr. High and Le Pera Elementary School took part in their promotion ceremonies, marking their next step forward.

The excitement continued Friday, May 22, with Parker High School’s Graduation celebration. Before the ceremony, graduates took part in a parade through town, where family, friends, and community members lined the route to cheer them on as they passed by. It was a special moment of recognition, not only for the graduates, but for everyone who supported them along the way.

The week ended Saturday, May 23, with the Head Start Promotion, a celebration filled with excitement, smiles, and a few tears from both parents and students. Although Head Start was the final event of the week, for many students, it represents where their educational journey first began.

Each ceremony served as a reminder of growth, hard work, and the importance of community support. From the youngest students taking their first big step forward to high school graduates preparing for new opportunities, each milestone is worth celebrating.

Congratulations to all the students who walked across the stage, down the aisle, or through the crowd of cheering loved ones. May you continue to shine, reach your goals, and move forward with confidence.

As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Written by CRIT Media Reporter Ariana Romero

The Bureau of Reclamation told all 30 Tribal Nations in the Colorado River Basin on May 8^th  that they will no longer seek to allocate across-the-board shortages to all water users as previously proposed but instead will follow current law and respect senior tribal rights.  This is a major victory for CRIT, Tribal rights advocates, and holders of senior water rights.  As stated by CRIT Chairwoman Amelia Flores “We are pleased that Reclamation has finally decided to drop its illegal proposal to disregard CRIT’s senior water rights and allocate shortages without regard to priority.”  Chair Flores continued, “Tribal Council has never backed down on the issue of protecting our Tribal rights.  Throughout this process, Reclamation, and many others, have proposed for setting aside the priority system and for all water users to share equally in shortages.  We know this is wrong and we were prepared to defend our senior water rights all the way to the Supreme Court.  Fortunately, Reclamation has understood the seriousness of our position and dropped its proposal.”

Tribal Council has opposed these so called “pro-rata” shortages since they were first proposed by Reclamation over two years ago to manage reductions in Colorado River water due to overuse and climate change.  Over this time, Tribal Council has been in support to stop the implementation of pro-rata shortages through an intensive and coordinated advocacy effort with the Trump Administration.  This included many trips to Washington, DC, meetings with state-wide elected officials, and direct government-to-government consultation with senior Trump Administration officials.

While these efforts paid off in the statements made by Reclamation last week, the process regarding how the dams on the Colorado River will be operated is still ongoing. The CRIT Tribal Council understands that while the Reclamation’s reversal is a critical milestone, the fight to protect and preserve CRIT’s rights remain.  As stated by Councilman Tommy Drennan “we will never rest in protecting and preserving our rights, not just for today but for future generations. “

CRIT’s water rights date back to the creation of the reservation, March 3, 1865 and are the most senior tribal water rights in the Lower Colorado River basin.   We expect Reclamation to issue a final environmental document sometime in June.