The Tribal Council for the Colorado River Indian Tribes has approved a new water code that both affirms tribal sovereignty over its water while protecting the life of the Colorado River.

Before the Tribal Council vote,  there was a series of meetings with Tribal Membership in both Parker and in Phoenix where Tribal members provided their thoughts regarding the language of the final code.

These meetings with Tribal Membership provide Tribal Council with valuable insight in creating the Water Code.

The Code is a comprehensive legal framework to govern the use, protection, and
management of all water resources on the Reservation. It affirms the Colorado River Indian Tribes’ sovereign authority over water, ensures sustainable development, and protects the cultural, spiritual, and economic interests of the Tribes and their members.

Passage of the Water Code paves the way for economic opportunities for CRIT while protecting cultural and environmental values.

The Water Code protects CRIT’s full ownership and control of its water. It creates a fair, transparent system for water use and the potential of off reservation leasing of CRIT’s water resources.  It ensures that all decisions are made by CRIT. (more…)

The Colorado River is not just a water source for the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT); it is the foundation of life, culture, and survival on the Reservation. It sustains farms and families, supports wildlife, and holds deep cultural and spiritual meaning for the Tribes who have lived along its banks for generations. For CRIT, decisions about the river are not abstract policy debates, they directly affect the Tribe’s ability to live, govern, and prosper for future generations.

That reality framed a series of high-level meetings held alongside the Colorado River Water Users Association (CRWUA) Conference, where CRIT was represented by a unified and prepared delegation consisting of Tribal Council, legal counsel, the CRIT Attorney General’s Office, Public Affairs, and the Tribe’s Washington, D.C. and Phoenix lobbying teams, all actively engaged in advancing and defending CRIT’s water rights and sovereignty.

This delegation engaged in multiple meetings with neighboring tribes, federal agencies, state representatives, and regional water districts. As the Colorado River Basin approaches major changes after 2026, these discussions focused on the future of the river, tribal water rights, and CRIT’s role as a sovereign water authority.

At the center of these discussions was a clear and unwavering position from CRIT: the Tribe’s senior water rights, tribal sovereignty, and responsibility to protect the Colorado River are not negotiable. CRIT Deputy Attorney General Travis Nez explained that the Tribe is expanding its agricultural footprint by investing in and growing farming operations on the Reservation. This ensures that the Tribe’s water is put to use on tribal lands to generate the greatest possible economic benefit for the community. While many water users across the Basin are reducing agricultural use, CRIT is intentionally increasing on-reservation water use to reclaim water that has historically gone unused and to convert it into long-term economic benefits for the Tribe.

CRIT leadership and the Tribe is fully cognizant that neighboring and downstream entities have economically benefited for decades from CRIT’s unused Colorado River allocation. This includes large regional water agencies such as the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Their Colorado River Aqueduct diverts water at Lake Havasu upstream of the CRIT Reservation, supporting municipal growth and generating substantial economic value. Simultaneously, CRIT’s own ability to fully use its water has long been constrained by outdated irrigation infrastructure constructed and controlled by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). (more…)

When people talk about climate change, it can sound political or exaggerated, but at its core, it’s about environmental changes we can measure over time. Scientists like Brad Udall, who studies long-term weather patterns, have found that the Earth’s average temperature has risen slightly over the past century, mostly because of how people consume energy. When coal, gas, or oil is burned, it releases gases that trap more heat in the atmosphere, like a blanket wrapped around the planet. Despite whether someone believes it is man-made or not, climate change forces us to pay attention, and develop methods to protect the land and water that sustain us.

On Monday, September 29th, Udall, an internationally recognized scientist on water and climate change from Colorado State University, visited the Colorado River Indian Reservation to share his latest findings on the Colorado River. He spoke with Tribal leaders about what the future may hold.

Udall is known for his research on the connection between climate change and river systems in the American West. He has spent decades studying how heat, drought, and rainfall affect water levels, especially in the Colorado River Basin. Additionally, Udall co-wrote parts of the U.S. National Climate Assessment, and has testified before the United States Congress about the effects of climate change on western water supplies. His work focuses on researching solutions that balance the needs of people, agriculture, and the environment.

When Udall met with Tribal leadership at the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) Council Chambers, he was greeted by Chairwoman Amelia Flores, Councilwoman Vanessa Welch, CRIT Attorney General Rebecca Loudbear, CRIT Water Resources Director Dillion Esquerra, CRIT Realty Commercial Manager Herman “TJ” Lafoon Jr., and CRIT Lead Water Attorney John Bezdek.

During his presentation, Udall explained that flows in the Colorado River have dropped about 20% since the year 2000, and that precipitation – the rain and snow that feed the river – is also down about 20%. He said several studies have found that this isn’t just a temporary drought, but a long-term trend he believes is caused largely by human-driven climate change. Temperatures are rising across the Southwest, and according to Udall, “We are now on target for 3 degrees Celsius of warming by the year 2100.” Udall reiterated that his studies show this increase in temperatures is based on an average of estimates, and that temperatures in certain areas, including the desert southwest, could see higher increases.

Udall described the situation as serious and with little optimism. He shared that some scientists are exploring ideas like adding sulfur dioxide to the atmosphere to help cool the planet, though he said most researchers are cautious about such steps because they involve more human interference in nature. “It’s not a perfect solution,” he explained, “but it shows how far people are thinking about how to slow down the warming.” Councilwoman Vanessa Welsh was thankful for Udall’s frankness about the situation stating, “Many of us do know this, but we don’t hear it very often…We intend to protect the river as one of our own.” (more…)

The Department of Revenue and Finance Welcomes Director

The Colorado River Indian Tribes is pleased to welcome Andrew Quillen as the new Director of the Revenue and Finance Department.

Mr. Quillen is a CRIT tribal member who was born and raised in the community. He brings both professional experience and a deep personal connection to the reservation into his new leadership role. He has worked for the Tribes for the past three years and has steadily grown within the department.

Mr. Quillen earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with a concentration in management from the University of La Verne. Upon returning to Parker, he began his career with the Tribes as a tax examiner and revenue agent. He quickly found that the work aligned with his long-standing interest in business, compliance, and economic development.

When the former Revenue and Finance Director was elected to Tribal Council, Mr. Quillen felt it was the right time to step forward and continue the work the department had already established. His background in sales, service, and compliance has helped shape his understanding of how the department supports businesses and the community as a whole.

As a lifelong community member, Mr. Quillen understands the economic landscape of the reservation and the opportunities for growth. One of his personal goals is to see more tribal members become business owners. Being part of the reservation’s continued development is something that holds special meaning for him. (more…)

The Colorado River Indian Tribes Utilities Department has welcomed a familiar face into its leadership, naming Alex Covarrubias Jr. as the new Utilities Director.

Covarrubias is a Parker and Poston local who grew up in the community he now serves. His career in the water industry began in 2013, giving him more than a decade of hands-on and leadership experience in the field.

He started his professional journey working in Big River for three years before joining CRIT Utilities, where he served as Water Department Supervisor. During his time with the Tribe, Covarrubias gained valuable experience learning the day-to-day operations of the department and the importance of understanding the work from the ground up.

“Learning the ins and outs of the job builds character,” Covarrubias said. “I’m glad I was able to learn from the bottom.”

In 2022, he stepped away from CRIT Utilities to continue building his experience, working with the Rural Water Association of Arizona. Along with his previous roles, Covarrubias has spent years in management and believes that with a good attitude and strong work ethic, he can be an effective leader.

Returning to CRIT Utilities as Director is a full-circle moment for Covarrubias, and one he says he is excited about.

CRIT Utilities oversees essential services including water, wastewater, and solid waste for the reservation. Having spent years doing hands-on work in the field, Covarrubias believes that experience helps him better support his team. (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…)