During the brand-new playground ribbon cutting ceremony in February, Salt River Elementary School Acting Principal Bryan “Coach” McCleney spoke from the heart about how important it is for all children to feel valued and welcomed.  “About three years ago we started this project. It included staff, a lot of students,...

Nearly 100 Native youth took part in an identity conference in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community this winter. On February 1, Youth Services hosted its 8th annual Native Youth Identity Conference at the Accelerated Learning Academy. The conference was open for registration to all youth in grades 7-12. A...

Spider-Man, Captain America, and Elsa and Anna from “Frozen” visited the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s Way of Life Facility to promote healthy lifestyle.  The “Happily Ever After” Magic Kingdom-themed Journey to Wellness event was a collaboration between the WOLF and Diabetes Prevention Services. The January 11 event featured vendor...

Kristine Scabby moved more than 700 miles to follow her basketball dream.  The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community member caught the attention of the women’s basketball program at California Tribal College in Sacramento, which was recruiting Native students for its brand-new athletic program. Scabby, a 2023 Westwood High School graduate...

A bright year of leadership and transformative opportunity lies ahead for the new members of the Young River People’s Council. Twenty O’odham and Piipaash youth leaders took their oaths of office at the YRPC inauguration held at the Accelerated Learning Academy in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community January 10....

Being in front of a crowd is nerve-wracking for most people, but performing for more than 70,000 college football fans was no sweat for James Schaaf, a member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Schaaf (Pima/Mohave/Quechan/White Mountain Apache) plays the snare drum in the Arizona State University Sun Devil...

The sky-blue Jordans Alyssa Thomas wears are as loud and flashy as she is steady and unpretentious. With quiet strength, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community student-athlete has dominated her first varsity basketball season for Mesa’s Westwood High School. The Warriors faced fierce competition this season, starting with a victory...

The Accelerated Learning Academy gym transformed into a dancefloor in December for Salt River School’s Vaila Night and Soda with Security event. Students, families, and faculty came together to learn some wintertime safety tips and enjoy an evening of lively cumbia music, performed by the band Nathan and Company.  Bringing...