September 4, 2026 12:41 am
CRIT Nation, Parker, AZ
September 4, 2026 12:41 am
CRIT Nation, Parker, AZ
Arizona opened August with strong pushback to the federal government’s new framework for managing the Colorado River after 2026.
The Bureau of Reclamation’s Final Environmental Impact Statement lays out a 10-year framework for future operations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The current operating rules expire after 2026, and the seven Basin states have not reached a long-term agreement on how future shortages should be shared.
Under the federal framework, Arizona, California, and Nevada could face mandatory reductions in Colorado River use. The Department of the Interior said the plan allows Lower Basin shortages of up to 3 million acre-feet, depending on reservoir conditions. The Upper Basin states — Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New Mexico — would not face mandatory reductions for now.
Arizona officials and water leaders criticized that approach, saying it places too much of the burden on the Lower Basin and especially on Arizona. Fox 10 reported that the Central Arizona Project, which delivers Colorado River water to central and southern Arizona, raised concerns that the federal framework could lead to deeper cuts for the state. CAP serves cities, farms, and Tribal communities through its 336-mile canal system.
Several Arizona leaders said the state has already conserved significant amounts of Colorado River water and should not be forced to carry the largest share of future reductions. KNAU reported that Arizona officials called on Upper Basin states to do more to share the burden, while Upper Basin officials argued that drought and reduced snowpack already limit the amount of water available to them.
Central Arizona Project President Terry Goddard also criticized the federal plan. KTAR reported that Goddard said the plan requires Lower Basin states to cut water use while Upper Basin states face no mandatory reductions. CAP said it expects the final operating guidelines for 2027 and 2028 to better reflect the Lower Basin proposal, which would conserve more than 3.2 million acre-feet of water through 2028.
The issue is especially important for Arizona because cuts to Colorado River water would not affect every community the same way. ABC15 reported that reductions would hit Valley cities unevenly because Central Arizona Project water is delivered under a priority system. Some communities have stronger priority, stored water, other supplies, or Tribal water leases that may help reduce the impact. Others could be more exposed.
Phoenix said it is prepared for possible Colorado River reductions because of conservation, underground storage, diverse supplies, and long-term infrastructure planning. The city has also joined regional water-sharing efforts meant to help Arizona communities manage shortages.
Infrastructure is becoming a larger part of the state’s water planning. KJZZ reported that Salt River Project opened the Gilbert Road Pipeline, a $25 million project that will help Valley cities access stored groundwater during dry times. The pipeline connects water stored near the Granite Reef Underground Storage Project to the Arizona Canal, making it easier for cities to recover water they banked for shortage conditions.
The SRP project also involved the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. KJZZ reported that the pipeline crosses part of the community near Mesa, and President Martin Harvier spoke at the ribbon-cutting, connecting the project to the long history of canal systems in the Valley.
Lake Powell remains one of the biggest concerns. KTAR reported that the reservoir could lose the ability to generate hydropower as early as March 2027 if water levels continue to fall. Glen Canyon Dam provides power for millions of people across the Southwest, and low reservoir levels can also affect dam infrastructure, releases through the Grand Canyon, and downstream operations. (more…)
The final days of July brought the clearest picture yet of how the federal government may manage the Colorado River after 2026.
The Bureau of Reclamation released its Final Environmental Impact Statement for future operations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead, setting up a 10-year framework for managing the river through 2036. The current operating rules expire after 2026, and the Basin states have not reached a long-term agreement on how future shortages should be shared.
The federal framework does not settle every question. Instead, it gives Reclamation room to adjust operations over shorter periods as river conditions change. The Department of the Interior said the preferred alternative allows for annual Lake Powell releases between 5 million and 12 million acre-feet, Lower Basin shortages of up to 3 million acre-feet, and new options to store conserved water in Lake Powell and Lake Mead for future use.
For Arizona, the proposal carries serious consequences. The Associated Press reported that Arizona, California, and Nevada would share reductions under the federal plan, while the Upper Basin states would not face mandatory cuts for now. The Lower Basin could be required to reduce use by up to 3 million acre-feet annually through 2036, depending on river conditions.
Arizona officials pushed back quickly. Gov. Katie Hobbs called parts of the federal framework unacceptable, and the Arizona Department of Water Resources said reductions of up to 3 million acre-feet per year, in priority, would harm Arizona water users and the state economy. ADWR said it wants the final Record of Decision and operating guidelines to follow the May 1 Lower Basin Proposal, which includes shared reductions among Arizona, California, and Nevada of 1.25 million acre-feet each year, plus 700,000 acre-feet of system conservation water.
Central Arizona Project also responded to the FEIS, saying future rules must recognize Arizona’s existing rights and the realities of how Colorado River water is used in the state. CAP delivers Colorado River water to central and southern Arizona, including cities, agriculture, and tribal users. Any major reduction to CAP supplies would affect communities differently depending on their water priority, stored supplies, and access to other sources.
Arizona communities were already preparing before the FEIS was released. KJZZ reported that Salt River Project opened the Gilbert Road Pipeline, a $25 million project that will help Valley cities access stored groundwater during dry times. The pipeline connects underground storage near the Granite Reef Underground Storage Project to the Arizona Canal, making it easier for cities to recover water they stored for shortage conditions.
That project also involved the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. KJZZ reported that the pipeline crosses a portion of the community near Mesa, and President Martin Harvier spoke at the ribbon-cutting, connecting the project to the long history of canal systems in the Valley.
Stored water and infrastructure are becoming more important as cities look for backup supplies. City of Phoenix officials said the city is prepared for potential Colorado River cuts because of its diverse water portfolio, conservation work, underground storage, and investments in infrastructure. Other Arizona cities are also turning to conservation, including turf conversion programs and water-saving rebates.
In Queen Creek, local reporting said turf conversions are saving water and money. Fox 10 reported that Gilbert residents are seeing higher water rates, showing how water planning costs are reaching household budgets. KTAR reported that Kearny expects its current water supply to last through this year, but 2027 remains uncertain.
Drought conditions also continued across Arizona. Payson Roundup reported that Arizona has been designated a drought disaster area, while other local reports showed concern in rural communities that rely on limited supplies or groundwater. These conditions show how water shortages are not only a Colorado River issue. They also affect small towns, farms, local utilities, and private well users.
Lake Powell remained one of the most urgent concerns. KTAR reported that Lake Powell could lose the ability to generate hydropower by early 2027 if water levels continue to fall. CBS 5 Arizona’s Family also reported that the Colorado River crisis threatens both water supply and hydropower for millions of people. Low reservoir levels affect more than storage. They can affect dam operations, electricity generation, water deliveries, and the ability to manage future dry years.
Scientists are also working to better understand how much water is being lost from the system. Colorado Public Radio and KUNR reported that researchers are expanding evaporation monitoring across the Colorado River Basin. The work is meant to give water managers better information about how much water is lost from reservoirs and other parts of the system, an issue that becomes more important as Lake Mead and Lake Powell remain low.
The pressure is being felt outside Arizona as well. Nevada Independent reported that Nevada could lose a significant share of its Colorado River water under the federal framework, while Las Vegas-area reporting focused on conservation and what continued cuts could mean for Southern Nevada. California outlets reported that future Colorado River reductions could affect Southern California water planning, including agencies that depend on Colorado River supplies.
Public concern is also rising. A Walton Family Foundation poll found that residents across all seven Basin states view shrinking Colorado River supplies as a priority. KJZZ reported that Arizonans are worried about water and want elected officials to respond. Those findings reflect what many local water stories showed throughout July: the Colorado River issue is no longer limited to technical negotiations. It is showing up in city budgets, water rates, infrastructure projects, agriculture, energy, and household concerns.
By the end of July, the federal FEIS became the main turning point. It did not end the negotiations, but it set the stage for the next federal decision. Reclamation will still issue a Record of Decision and operating guidelines, which will provide more detail on how the framework will be used. (more…)
The Bureau of Reclamation has released its Final Environmental Impact Statement for future Colorado River operations, a major step toward deciding how Lake Powell and Lake Mead will be managed after 2026.
The document comes as the current river rules near expiration. The 2007 Interim Guidelines, the 2019 Drought Contingency Plans, and several related agreements are set to expire after the 2026 operating year. Those rules helped guide shortages and coordinated operations between Lake Powell and Lake Mead, but Reclamation said they have not been strong enough to stop the continued decline of the river’s two largest reservoirs.
Instead of adopting one fixed long-term operating plan, Reclamation’s preferred alternative creates a 10-year adaptive framework for operations from 2027 through 2036. Under that framework, operating guidelines could be issued in shorter periods, likely every two years, unless the Basin states reach a longer consensus agreement.
That approach gives the federal government more flexibility as river conditions change. It also shows that the seven Basin states have not yet reached a long-term agreement on how future shortages should be shared.
The Department of the Interior said the framework is meant to guide operations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead while leaving room for future agreements among the Basin states. The preferred alternative includes “sideboards,” or operating limits, that set the range of actions federal officials could use.
Those sideboards include annual releases from Lake Powell between 5 million and 12 million acre-feet, Lower Basin shortages of up to 3 million acre-feet, and new options to store conserved water in Lake Powell and Lake Mead for future use. The framework also allows voluntary Upper Basin conservation of up to 200,000 acre-feet, depending on hydrologic conditions.
Lake Powell and Lake Mead remain central to the federal planning process. Lake Powell helps regulate releases from the Upper Basin through Glen Canyon Dam, while Lake Mead supports Lower Basin deliveries to Arizona, California, and Nevada through Hoover Dam. When either reservoir drops too low, the risk is not only less stored water. Low levels can also affect hydropower, dam operations, deliveries, and the ability to respond to future dry years.
Reclamation’s Executive Summary says the Colorado River supports about 40 million people, nearly 5.5 million acres of agricultural land, ecological resources, hydropower, cultural resources, and communities across seven states and Mexico. It also identifies 30 federally recognized Tribes in the Basin, including the Colorado River Indian Tribes.
The Final EIS directly addresses Tribal concerns. Reclamation said Basin Tribes have expressed that the current approach to Colorado River management does not fully address their rights, needs, and interests. The document says future guidelines should provide more flexibility and predictability for Basin Tribes to benefit from their water rights and participate in voluntary conservation programs.
That language is important because it places Tribal Nations inside the future operating framework, not outside of it. For CRIT, that matters because the Tribe holds senior Colorado River rights and has agricultural, cultural, and governmental interests tied directly to the river.
The Arizona Department of Water Resources released a statement after the FEIS was published. ADWR said Arizona, California, and Nevada submitted a Lower Basin proposal to help stabilize Lake Powell and Lake Mead with more than 3 million acre-feet of water savings over two years. ADWR said the FEIS includes analysis that could allow many core parts of that proposal to move forward.
ADWR also raised concerns. The agency objected to parts of the federal framework that could allow Lower Basin reductions of up to 3 million acre-feet per year, in priority. ADWR said reductions at that level would harm Arizona water users and the state economy. The agency also said the framework does not include Upper Basin reductions or enough use of water stored in reservoirs above Lake Powell.
ADWR said it wants the forthcoming Record of Decision and operating guidelines to follow the May 1 Lower Basin Proposal. That plan includes shared reductions among Arizona, California, and Nevada of 1.25 million acre-feet each year, plus an additional 700,000 acre-feet of system conservation water.
The next major step will be the federal Record of Decision and operating guidelines. Those documents are expected to provide more detail on how operations will be handled through 2028 and how the broader framework will guide decisions through 2036.
For CRIT, the FEIS is significant because future operations at Lake Powell and Lake Mead shape the larger river system where the Tribe’s senior rights are exercised. CRIT is not in the same legal position as many junior-priority users, but federal rules on reservoir operations, conservation programs, shortage planning, and stored water can still influence Basin-wide policy. (more…)
July 16 reporting focused on what future Colorado River rules may need to account for: water users, reservoir levels, river health, and the cost of keeping the system operating.
KJZZ reported that environmental advocates want future Colorado River rules to leave some water for the river itself. The article focused on the Colorado River below Glen Canyon Dam, where river conditions are shaped by dam operations, reservoir levels, and releases from Lake Powell. Advocates told KJZZ that a healthier river system can also support the water supply system that cities, farms, and ecosystems depend on.
Lake Mead also remained under pressure. Water Online reported that the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is partnering with the federal government to leave water in Lake Mead. The agreement is meant to help slow the reservoir’s decline while the Basin states continue working on new river rules.
Several Nevada outlets reported that Lake Mead is expected to keep dropping. KLAS reported that the reservoir could fall nearly 33 feet by June 2028, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that forecasters expect Lake Mead to continue setting record lows over the next two years. KVVU also reported that Lake Mead is nearing its all-time low as Boulder City continues to raise concerns about a proposed data center and its power demands.
Lake Powell remained a major concern as well. St. George News reported that the reservoir reached a critical threshold amid the ongoing Colorado River crisis. Low levels at Lake Powell affect hydropower generation, releases through Glen Canyon Dam, and the overall operation of the river system.
Weather added another layer of uncertainty. CAP Know Your Water News reported that a possible “Super El Niño” could bring wetter conditions to parts of the Southwest, but it does not guarantee relief for the Colorado River Basin. CAP reported that snowpack, runoff, and conditions in the Upper Basin will still determine how much water reaches Lake Powell and Lake Mead.
In the Upper Basin, Colorado water officials announced a new state-run conservation program. Aspen Journalism reported that the program will use federal funding to pay water users to voluntarily reduce use in 2027 and 2028. The program is expected to include criteria meant to avoid negative community impacts, encourage participation across sectors, and support drought resiliency. (more…)
July reporting continued to focus on how Arizona and the wider Colorado River Basin are preparing for reduced water supplies, with attention on Tribal water leadership, advanced water purification, and low reservoir levels.
Lake Powell Chronicle reported on the growing role of Tribal Nations in Arizona water policy. The article focused on how Tribal water rights, settlements, and planning are becoming more central as the state and federal government respond to long-term shortages. The reporting also reflects a broader shift across the Basin, where Tribal Nations are not only water rights holders but key governments in future river decisions.
Arizona water agencies are also looking at new supply options. AMWUA reported on advanced water purification, a process that treats recycled water to drinking-water standards. The technology is receiving more attention as cities look for options beyond traditional surface water, groundwater, and stored credits.
At the same time, Lake Powell remains under serious pressure. ABC News reported that the reservoir is nearing “dead power pool,” the elevation where water levels become too low for Glen Canyon Dam to generate hydropower. Newsweek also reported on concerns about Lake Powell and Lake Mead, including ideas being discussed by scientists and water experts as both reservoirs remain low.
John Fleck at Inkstain described the reservoir conditions as a grim Colorado River milestone. The continued decline of Lake Powell and Lake Mead shows how storage, hydropower, and future water deliveries are tied together. When the reservoirs fall, the issue is not only how much water remains but how the system can continue operating.
California water issues also remained part of the regional picture. Smart Water Magazine reported that California voters rank water among their top priorities for the next governor. While California’s water system is different from Arizona’s, the state remains part of Colorado River negotiations and shares in decisions over future Lower Basin reductions.
The July reports show several parts of the water discussion moving at once. Tribal Nations are gaining more recognition in water policy. Cities are exploring advanced purification. Lake Powell and Lake Mead remain low. States are still facing pressure to plan for a river system that can no longer support all demands in the same way.
What does this mean for CRIT?
For CRIT, the reporting on Tribal water power is directly relevant. It shows that Tribal Nations are becoming more visible in statewide and Basin-wide water decisions, especially as shortages force governments to revisit how water is managed.
CRIT’s senior Colorado River rights are a major part of that larger water policy landscape. As Arizona cities look at reuse, purification, and future water supplies, Tribal rights and Tribal governments remain central to any complete discussion about the river’s future.
The Lake Powell reporting also matters because reservoir levels affect federal operations, hydropower, and shortage planning across the Basin. CRIT’s Water Code and Water Resiliency Act help guide local water management as those conditions change, while the Personhood Resolution reflects the Tribe’s cultural and environmental connection to the Colorado River. (more…)
July reporting continued to focus on how Arizona and the wider Colorado River Basin are preparing for reduced water supplies, with attention on Tribal water leadership, advanced water purification, and low reservoir levels.
Lake Powell Chronicle reported on the growing role of Tribal Nations in Arizona water policy. The article focused on how Tribal water rights, settlements, and planning are becoming more central as the state and federal government respond to long-term shortages. The reporting also reflects a broader shift across the Basin, where Tribal Nations are not only water rights holders but key governments in future river decisions.
Arizona water agencies are also looking at new supply options. AMWUA reported on advanced water purification, a process that treats recycled water to drinking-water standards. The technology is receiving more attention as cities look for options beyond traditional surface water, groundwater, and stored credits.
At the same time, Lake Powell remains under serious pressure. ABC News reported that the reservoir is nearing “dead power pool,” the elevation where water levels become too low for Glen Canyon Dam to generate hydropower. Newsweek also reported on concerns about Lake Powell and Lake Mead, including ideas being discussed by scientists and water experts as both reservoirs remain low.
John Fleck at Inkstain described the reservoir conditions as a grim Colorado River milestone. The continued decline of Lake Powell and Lake Mead shows how storage, hydropower, and future water deliveries are tied together. When the reservoirs fall, the issue is not only how much water remains but how the system can continue operating.
California water issues also remained part of the regional picture. Smart Water Magazine reported that California voters rank water among their top priorities for the next governor. While California’s water system is different from Arizona’s, the state remains part of Colorado River negotiations and shares in decisions over future Lower Basin reductions.
The July reports show several parts of the water discussion moving at once. Tribal Nations are gaining more recognition in water policy. Cities are exploring advanced purification. Lake Powell and Lake Mead remain low. States are still facing pressure to plan for a river system that can no longer support all demands in the same way.
What does this mean for CRIT?
For CRIT, the reporting on Tribal water power is directly relevant. It shows that Tribal Nations are becoming more visible in statewide and Basin-wide water decisions, especially as shortages force governments to revisit how water is managed. (more…)
Navajo customs find a way to heal and reignite the strength of those in suffering and spiritual pain of what lingers in their heart, their mind, their body, their soul. But here, we have a film that questions and wrestles with the idea of how we feel out, process, and learn to forgive those who’ve done harm to us for no longer. FINDING HÓZHÓ, the newest film from writer/director/producer Travis Holt Hamilton, searches for that idea from within the protagonist Secody, a man whose silent dignity masks a history of childhood trauma left behind by the violence of his father, remembered as an angry and aggressive alcoholic. Now an older man, Secody is morally stuck on how to best care for his dying/bedridden elder father; he secretly wrestles with the emotional turmoil of not knowing how to confront his abuser and comfort his dying father. We jump back and forth between the present narrative and the 60s’ period flashbacks to show how Secody had to endure his father’s drunken rage(s), while also finding peace and serenity with his warm and loving grandfather, who teaches him the traditional Diné methods of beliefs and guidance. We see a different coin side of father figures within Secody’s life – one figure showing him what pain can bring by self-destruction, and another figure teaching what beauty and tranquility can be found with personal strength and faith rooted in traditional values. (A scene plays out in flashback with the grandfather and son looking after the depressed father, drowning in sorrow about his dead wife with a bottle; the grandfather tells his grandson, “Your father is not a bad man, he’s a broken man.” They carry him back home and spend the night traditional praying over him repeatedly, showing Secody what the bonds of family and holding hope in one’s beauty does for our health & growth.)
What stood out on top of the story with the film itself, the reviewer found the production value to be a crowning achievement; in particular, the cinematography and direction seen on screen proves that the story has a backbone of visual style and gravitas of a filmmaker’s dedication to making a story based on the concept and company he keeps. Here, Hamilton finds the weight of the emotional journey in his character’s choices and reflections in facing the confrontation of familial bonds and those painful memories that we put to rest. The actors’ are all allowed to shine and breathe life into their on-screen personas’, with many of the cast having the strength to carry weight of dialogue while the main lead is left in silence of his own accord. By the end of the film (as per audience reactions at the screening), you’ll be needing the tissues to help handle the teary emotions we see in the finale of the film reinterpreting the themes of Hózhó being an internal spiritual awakening that anyone can ignite from within, from family, and from the values/beliefs we hold strong. Anyone of any generation can find something out of the story, as the reviewer recounts how much an audience engagement could be found in the Q/A section of the premiere – prompting discussions of elder’s recollections that touched on personal experiences they found identifiable through the film. It’s a beautiful film that stands as one of Hamilton’s most mature and enlightening features that showcases the humanity and culture of Diné customs and traditions. FINDING HÓZHÓ is a film that wants you to be emotionally and spiritually ready to find the light, beauty, and forgiveness to give ourselves from all the burdens of the world.
Holt Hamilton, in his steadfast devotion to furthering his filmmaking goals and working with the best talent/crews, finds solace in the audience he has acquired with his filmography. Speaking with him, you understand that the storytelling that he’s writing and formulating is based on the influences and ideas that surround him; and it’s no surprise seeing how much influence the honor and beauty of Navajo country has struck a cord with his sensibilities. We spoke with him after the screening –
CRIT MEDIA: How do you anticipate everything that you do with the challenges of filmmaking? What does the weight of this lifestyle feel like for you?
HAMILTON: “I think the start of it was of just giving myself that goal: if I had one more chance to make a movie, what would I do? Not that the other films haven’t been a passion project or something, but there’s something about like, okay, what, there’s more thought, there’s a lot more prayer into it, there’s a lot more like, okay, what do I leave with? And so I think I set, that was one thing I think that really played into it.” (more…)
(LAS VEGAS) The Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT), the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) and the Central Arizona Water Conservation District, which manages the Central Arizona Project, have signed an historic proclamation to work together to protect the Colorado River.
The three entities have had differing priorities and goals over the years regarding the River, but those differences do not prevent them from working together to safeguard the Colorado River which is suffering from drought and overuse.
The proclamation was signed during the Colorado River Water Users Association conference where multiple states, local and regional government entities, and the federal government have been trying to reach an accord on river water allocation and use.
CRIT, GRIC, and the CAP hope their proclamation can set an example and demonstrate the need for collaboration and conservation. The resolution states:
The Colorado River Indian Tribes, the Gila River Indian Community, and the Central Arizona Water Conservation District have been collaborative partners on various conservation projects to protect the Colorado River including the Pilot System Conservation Program, the Drought Contingency Plan and innovative water efficiency demonstration projects.
We commit to working on collaborative and creative partnerships that, consistent with our respective principles and values, utilize all the tools that are available to us through the Consolidated Decree in Arizona v. California, the Arizona Water Settlements Act, the 2007 Interim Guidelines, the Drought Contingency Plan, the System Use Agreement, the Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act of 2022, and the Arizona’s Groundwater Management Act, in addition to others.
Together, the Colorado River Indian Tribes, under its laws, including requiring preservation of the River as a living entity, the Gila River Indian Community and the Central Arizona Water Conservation District are committed to protecting the Colorado River and the needs of our respective tribal members while connecting much-needed resources to end users within the Central Arizona Water Conservation District service area.
CRIT Chairwoman Amelia Flores said, “All of us who live in Arizona, native and non-native alike, are connected by water for without water, there is no life. And it is that common thread that binds us, which has us here today, pledging to work together for the greater good of all who live in Arizona.” CRIT recently took the pioneering step to acknowledge personhood status for the Colorado River under Tribal Law. According to Chairwoman Flores, “CRIT will always put the Colorado River first.” (more…)
by Cronkite News
PHOENIX – Natasha Bowman is a Navajo doula and student midwife. Her work centers around revitalizing traditional birthing through practices that have been overshadowed by Western medicine.
In traditional spaces, families are often there, supporting the mother through labor and birth. One of Bowman’s clients was the first woman in her family to have a home birth since her great-great-grandmother. The client was in the company of other women in her family and for the first time — her father.
Before the woman’s home birth, her father wasn’t allowed to be present for the births of his own children. His wife would labor at the hospital while he was at home and then return with their babies.
It was very different while his daughter was in labor. He was invited into the space and able to console her, rubbing her head and speaking to her as she moaned through contractions.
He sat in the living room during the active birth and told Bowman — through tears — that he wished he would have been there for the births of his children. He had no idea what his wife was going through until he saw his daughter go through it.
“Within the community, bringing in the aunts, the grandmas, the sisters, the cousins, bringing them all within that space, working as a community together. It’s beautiful to see everyone come together at a birth with the women around,” Bowman said.
Bowman explained that traditional births can often involve ceremonies, songs, holistic herbs, tinctures and the use of Native language alongside including family members.
Indigenous medicinal practices, alongside cultural and religious ceremonies, were considerably restricted under the 1883 Code of Indian Offenses, allowing authorities to withhold food, impose extra labor or jail people for up to 10 days for seeking or providing medicine or traditional healing.
Until the Congress passed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978, Native communities were largely forced to seek care within Western health systems.
“We see that we had our traditional birthing practices long ago. It was taken from us when hospitals came into our communities, and then our traditional birth ways were taken from us. They started telling us it was unsafe,” Bowman said.
Last year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved a Section 1115 waiver, allowing Medicaid to cover traditional healing. On Oct. 1, Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, AHCCCS, Arizona’s Medicaid agency, began reimbursing them, making Arizona one of the first states to do so. The initiative “aims to offer culturally appropriate options for eligible members.”
For tribal communities, this progress has been decades in the making.
“I’m really happy that, after over a decade, or to this point, that the advocates in our state didn’t give up and that we just kept moving it forward because we really understood the value of it,” said Kim Russell, the policy advisor at Sage Memorial Hospital on the Navajo Nation.
Hanley Manygoats is a traditional medicine practitioner (Hatalii) on the Navajo Nation. He grew up around traditional healing before becoming a practitioner himself. Lately, Manygoats went from seeing one person a month to three or four a week.
“It’s all part about healing, spiritual healing. It’s all about this being the one with nature, mother earth, father sky,” Manygoats said. “So we have all these stories that go with our traditional healing, our songs, our prayers. So it all starts with the origin stories.”
For many, he said, it’s the first time in decades they’ve been able to experience these healing ceremonies.
“When I do prayers for the elders, they get emotional because they haven’t heard prayers like this in a long time. The last time they had a prayer done was when their grandparents or their fathers and mothers were around. Now they’re gone,” he said.
Though AHCCCS coverage has allowed more people to seek traditional health care, Manygoats said the coverage is limited. (more…)
The Ahakhav Tribal Preserve is a treasured outdoor space for the Colorado River Indian Tribes community. Located along the beautiful Colorado River in Parker, the Preserve offers a peaceful and educational environment where families can explore nature, relax, and learn about the land we call home.
Newly hired Project Administrator, Marisol Chavira, has been dedicated to the Preserve for more than 20 years. Born and raised in Parker, she’s passionate about caring for the land and helping future generations enjoy it. After serving as the Administrative Assistant for many years, she began acting as the Project Administrator in 2021 and officially stepped into the role in November 2025.
Marisol shared that her favorite part about working at the Preserve is the quiet and comfort it brings. “It’s green, beautiful, and peaceful,” she said. “There’s so much for people to enjoy here.” From walking trails and bird watching to designated playground areas for families, the Preserve is an inviting space for all ages.
A typical day for the Preserve team includes maintaining the park, trimming trees, caring for the natural habitat, and working on grants to continue improving the area. One of Marisol’s favorite spots is Willow Beach, a scenic area where families can enjoy the water, shade, and open spaces.
Fall is her favorite season at the Preserve because the changing leaves bring the area to life with color. She even recalled one memorable morning early in her career when a doe fell into a ditch. Without hesitation, she rushed in to help and ended up drenched but proud of what she did. It’s moments like these that show how much she cares for the wildlife and environment.
The Preserve is also home to important cultural resources. Marisol was surprised to learn just how many of the trees and plants hold cultural value and are monitored and preserved with great respect. Restoration continues to be a major focus. A recent grant supports the revegetation of native trees, including cottonwood, willows, and mesquite, helping to restore the natural habitat and strengthen the ecosystem for future generations. (more…)
TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of Arizona will host a special series of sign unveiling ceremonies on Friday, September 4, 2026, honoring the four languages of the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT): Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi, & Navajo. These ceremonies represent an important milestone in an ongoing campus-wide initiative to elevate the visibility, recognition, and continued presence of Indigenous languages and cultural heritage within the campus community.
The events are organized by the University of Arizona’s Office of Native American Advancement & Tribal Engagement (NAATE) in collaboration with individual academic colleges. Students, faculty, staff, tribal community members, and the general public are invited to attend the progression of ceremonies throughout the day.
The schedule for the Friday ceremonies includes:
The celebration of Indigenous culture continues into the weekend with the Native American Heritage Game on Saturday, September 5, 2026. The Arizona Wildcats will face Northern Arizona at Casino Del Sol Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 6:30 PM MST. Pre-game festivities at Bear Down Field will begin at 3:15 PM with the Bear Down Bash, featuring 18-minute cultural performances from each tribe. A traditional gift presentation will follow during the Wildcat Walk at 4:15 PM, leading up to an on-field tribal recognition ceremony during the second quarter of the football game.
For more operational schedules or to register for the unveiling events, please visit the official University of Arizona Event Page.
