By Nalani Lopez Salt River Schools held the 2024 Education Fair on April 4 at the Accelerated Learning Academy. The goal of the event is to share education-related knowledge and resources for Community families and their students. In O’odham, sgevkam ‘I gegikuan kam o ‘I ‘e ‘u:gkaj means “standing tall and going higher.” Va Sshly’aysh […]

By Nalani Lopez Dressed in their pastels and spring attire, seniors of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community hopped into the Salt River Community Building for the annual Senior Easter Luncheon on March 29. Hosted by Senior Services, the event brought together senior friends and relatives for an afternoon of food, prizes and laughs. Also […]

By Nalani Lopez Standing in front of more than 600 attendees at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale’s annual Celebrate Youth Gala fundraiser on Saturday, March 23 was 15-year-old Jordan French, representing the Red Mountain branch the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. French is […]

By Nalani Lopez Each February, UNITY, United National Indian Tribal Youth, hosts a midyear conference in preparation for the organization’s annual conference in July. The three-day conference held February 2-4 in downtown Phoenix brought together more than 700 tribal youth from communities across the United States. Members of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s Young […]

By Nalani Lopez In recent decades, the traditional game of toka has found its way back to the O’odham women of the Sonoran Desert. In the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Community member Jessica Ruiz, shared the ins and outs of the recreational sport with interested women on January 31 at the Salt River Tribal Library. The […]

By Nalani Lopez Inside the Accelerated Learning Academy on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, sounds of cumbia music filled the halls as students and families gathered for Salt River Schools’ Education Native Language and Culture Program’s Vaila Night on January 17. In the ALA cafeteria, the great tunes could be traced to the band […]

By Nalani Lopez Residents and visitors in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community come across a variety of animals, both domestic and wild.  The Animal Control Unit, one of the Salt River Police Department’s specialty units, protects and serves the four-legged creatures that call the Community home.  “We enforce the [SRPMIC Code of Ordinances] regarding […]

By Nalani Lopez OAN Intern On September 28, the 7th Annual Native Youth Identity Conference took place in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s Way of Life Facility. This year’s conference was the first one held following several years of cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Youth Development Specialist Sommer Lopez, the conference […]