Chris Picciuolo

News reporter

(480) 274-7252 - Chris.Picciuolo@SRPMIC-nsn.gov
Chris Picciuolo is from Aurora, Illinois. Previously, he worked as a photojournalist for the Ak-Chin O'odham Runner Newspaper in Ak-Chin, Arizona, and as news editor and production specialist at NCTV17 in Naperville, Illinois.

Public Art Gallery at Civic Center Library Features SRPMIC Artists

A new exhibition called “FIRST: Native American Artists of Arizona” is on view through March 30 at the Public Gallery inside Scottsdale’s Civic Center Library. The exhibition was curated in consultation with Ron Carlos, potter and member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. SRPMIC artists with work featured in the gallery include Carlos, Jacob […]

March 2, 2022

SRPMIC Wild Horses Thriving in Finland

This time last year, O’odham Action News reported on a Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community wild mustang that made the journey from the scorching hot desert all the way to the wintry white wilderness of Lapland in northern Finland. New owners Tinja Myllykangas and Alexander Schwarz named that mustang Nube (“cloud” in Spanish), and when […]

March 2, 2022

Spring Garden Planting and Updates From the Community Garden

As temperatures begin to show signs of warming up, gardeners are preparing for planting seeds this spring. According to Native Seeds/SEARCH, planting for early spring in the low desert of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is usually from mid-January through late February, when seeds such as arugula, chickpeas, cilantro, lentils, onions and peas can […]

March 2, 2022

Personal Property Probate and Trust Asset Probate Processes

In the last three issues of O’odham Action News, we provided an introduction to estate planning, wills and probate; broke down the probate process; and offered a more in-depth look at the American Indian Probate Reform Act (AIPRA). In this issue, we will cover the last topic in the series: the personal property probate and […]

February 22, 2022

Start of Spring Training Postponed Due to MLB Lockout

Fans looking to see more baseball on tribal land will have to wait longer to hear the crack of the bat as the Major League Baseball lockout continues, with the start of the 2022 Spring Training exhibition season being postponed. The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and the MLB are still far apart on […]

February 18, 2022

Native Votes Make a Difference in Arizona Elections

It’s a new year, and a new election cycle has begun. The 2022 Arizona and nationwide general election will be held on November 8, with Arizona’s primary election falling on August 2. Native votes have made a difference in recent elections, especially in 2018, when Kyrsten Sinema won the Arizona U.S. Senate race by a […]

February 18, 2022

Rancho Solano Prep Breaks Ground On New Campus

On January 26, Rancho Solano Preparatory School held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Lower School (pre-K to fifth grade) campus on Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community land at 8075 N. Pima Road. The new campus will be built across the street from the Middle and Upper School campus (sixth to 12th grade) and will […]

February 18, 2022

SRPMIC Once Again Recognized Among Top 10 Healthiest Employers

The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is officially back on track as one of the Top 10 Healthiest Employers in the Valley in 2020 and 2021, according to the Phoenix Business Journal. WellPath, the Community’s wellness program, ranked No. 9 in the Phoenix market’s list of large employers for 2021. The Community was also previously […]

February 18, 2022

Understanding the American Indian Probate Reform Act

In the February 3 issue of O’odham Action News, we broke down the probate process for Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community members who are either dealing with the loss of a loved one or planning ahead to determine the validity of or process of heirs, wills, beneficiaries and more. In this issue, we provide an […]

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Jacob Butler Becomes Chair of Native Seeds/SEARCH

After serving on the board of Native Seeds/SEARCH since 2017, Community Garden Coordinator Jacob Butler will now serve as chair of the board for the nonprofit seed-conservation organization based in Tucson. Butler has a big presence in the Community, having served as Community garden coordinator for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community for 16 years. […]

Taté Walker Talks ‘The Trickster Riots’ and Collaborating With Family

Salt River Schools Communications and Public Affairs Director Taté Walker (Lakota citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota) has released a new poetry collection called “The Trickster Riots” with illustrations by their 14-year-old child, painter and graphic artist Ohíya Walker (Lakota citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe/Red Lake Ojibwe/Mvskoke Creek). For […]

Winners Crowned at 2023-24 Jr. Miss Salt River and Miss Salt River Pageant

On June 17, the 31st Annual Jr. Miss Salt River Pageant and 35th Annual Miss Salt River Pageant, presented by the Miss Salt River Committee, took place at the Salt River Pi-Copa Gym in front of an audience filled with Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community members, families and royalty from around Indian Country. The annual […]

Indigenous Chef Pyet DeSpain Wins ‘Next Level Chef’

Indigenous chef Pyet DeSpain (Prairie Band of Potawatomi/Mexican) recently made her mark on the culinary world by winning Fox’s latest cooking show competition, “Next Level Chef.” In the show, 15 contestants from around the country went all in with their cooking skills on three levels of kitchens, each level with its own degree of difficulty, […]

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