Copyright © 2001 NLThomas
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Arizona House Eliminates Governor's Commission on Indian Affairs In an effort to balance the State budget, the Arizona House eliminated the entire $240,000 budget for the Governor's Commission on Indian Affairs. The Commission was founded in 1953 to provide tribal governments better access to the Arizona Legislators and Senators, as well as other government officials. However, a 1998 report from the state auditor general found that the Commission was ineffective and that it had not accomplished any of its statutory mission.

Following the audit current executive director, Ron Lee of the Navajo Nation, was recruited to turn the Commission around. Lee maintains that the agency has changed significantly since the audit and that eliminating the Commission will be a major setback to the State's relationship with tribes.

Hopi Tribal Chairman, Wayne Taylor, Jr., echoed these sentiments, saying, "I am most disappointed that the State of Arizona found it necessary to eliminate the Commission. The organization played a key role in providing Arizona's tribes access to state government and bringing our issues to the attention of State Legislators."

"The GCIA's budget of $240 thousand is a paltry amount in the overall state budget and will do little to fix Arizona's financial woes," went on Taylor. "Balancing the budget at the expense of the state's Indian population sends us a unacceptable message - Indians are a low priority in the eyes of the State and funding Indian-specific programs is a luxury reserved only for times of plenty."

With the exception of Mississippi, all of the 42 states with officially recognized Indian tribes have a state agency to act as a liaison with their Native American tribes.

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Claire Heywood can be reached by e-mail: CHeywood@hopi.nsn.us.