Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs plans to propose a $7 million investment to support the repatriation of Native American human remains and artifacts from the Arizona State Museum to the tribes they were taken from, she said Wednesday during her Tribal State of the State Address.
Speaking to a room filled with leaders from 22 federally recognized Arizona tribes, Hobbs delivered the second Tribal State of the State Address at the Hyatt Regency in Phoenix.
“The Arizona State Museum is the state’s archaeological repository for remains and artifacts discovered on state lands,” she said. “And each year, the museum’s collections grow. The hard-working staff at the museum have done their best to repatriate human remains and artifacts to tribes without any significant financial investment from the state. It is time for that to change. It is time for the state to take repatriation seriously.”
Afterward, she headed to the Arizona Capitol to participate in the 30th Anniversary of Indian Nations and Tribes Legislative Day.
There, she told tribal leaders about the repatriation investment and highlighted her administration’s efforts in collaborating with Arizona tribes, along with outlining upcoming plans and goals for working together. She also discussed her administration’s work on issues such as water, education and national monuments.
Gov. Katie Hobbs delivers her second Tribal State of the State Address Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, to tribal leaders and community members at the Inter-Tribal Association of Arizona for a Tribal Leaders’ Breakfast.
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Funding will help provide scholarships
Education on tribal lands was another key topic for Hobbs. She honored the late Dr. Charles “Monty” Roessel, former president of Diné College, who died on Jan. 6, and acknowledged his impactful leadership at the tribal college and his dedication to its students.
Diné College is one of four tribal colleges in Arizona set to receive a share of $4 million to support Arizona students, Hobbs said. The funding will benefit Diné College, Navajo Technical University, Tohono O’odham Community College and San Carlos Apache College.
“Using these funds, we will launch a new education and workforce scholarship program to enable nearly 3,600 Arizona students attending a tribal college to earn a credential, degree or advanced skills that lead to good jobs,” said Hobbs. “This is just the start of forging a stronger and brighter future for tribal students, and I am excited to see this program transform lives.”
Regarding public schools serving Arizona’s Native American population, Hobbs noted that nearly $15 million in grants were awarded in 2024 to school districts on tribal lands for facility maintenance, representing a 500% increase in funding compared to the previous year.
Her administration had also provided over $7 million in funding that will help Tribal communities develop meaningful early childhood and health programs.
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Hobbs spoke about her consistent support for a national monument designation near the Grand Canyon that protects lands sacred to tribes. In her speech, she emphasized that her visits to tribal communities across the state made it clear that more must be done “to honor tribal contributions and protect your stories from erasure.”
“That’s why I was proud to support the designation of the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument,” the governor said.
Earlier this week the Grand Canyon Trust hosted a press conference to discuss a voters poll that showed strong bipartisan support for the new monument. The survey was conducted by independent polling and research firm GQR and also revealed strong public support for Native American co-stewardship of ancestral lands.
Gov. Katie Hobbs poses for photos before she gives her tribal-specific state of the state address at the Inter-Tribal Association of Arizona for a Tribal Leaders’ Breakfast Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency.
The poll found that 97% of Arizona voters believe national parks and monuments, along with their natural beauty, are vital to the state, while 93% agree that public lands are essential for ensuring access to outdoor recreation.
Support for the recently designated Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni monument continues to grow. Currently, 80% of Arizona voters back the monument, including 68% of Republicans, 81% of Independents, and 91% of Democrats. This marks an increase from the 75% of Arizona voters who supported its designation in 2023.
“One of the things that we’ve seen consistently throughout all of this research is that public lands and the natural beauty are really an essential part of identity in the West,” said Anne Greenburg, a pollster from the opinion research firm GQR, during the news conference. “It’s both iconic in terms of the imagery…but also the natural beauty and the and the participation in that natural beauty, whether it’s through recreation or protecting sacred lands is seen as kind of essential to being an Arizonan.”
Recently, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Toutin announced an additional $120 million to support the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project that will benefit 43 Eastern Navajo Nation chapters and provide running water to 80,000 Navajos.
During President Buu Nygren’s State of the Navajo Nation address on Tuesday, acting Navajo Nation Attorney General Heather Clah said that while officials were unable to advance the Northeastern Indian Water Rights Settlement, one of the largest Indian water rights settlements, before the new administration took office, they remain committed to continuing the fight for its approval.
“The Department of Justice has been assisting in helping with the water settlements in Arizona and two in New Mexico,” said Clah. “It’s unfortunate that we weren’t able to go ahead and move forward in the last congressional congress, however, we are going to go ahead and submit that back in for consideration with this new administration.”
In November, Hobbs signed the settlement agreement, and last month, she signed the final agreements ratifying the Hualapai Water Settlement, which were executed by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Jan. 10. This agreement grants the Colorado River Indian Tribes the freedom to use their water outside the reservation, ending decades of restrictive federal limitations and enhancing tribal sovereignty.
“After generations of conflict, tribal nations and Arizona communities have come together to reach these agreements,” said Hobbs. “A testament to the incredible things we can achieve when Arizonans come together to help provide the safe, reliable water every Arizonan deserves.”
On the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People, Hobbs said her administration has instructed the Arizona Department of Public Safety and other key public safety agencies to collaborate on implementing the new Missing and Endangered Persons alert code for individuals who do not meet the criteria for Amber alerts.
Meeting the criteria to utilize the Amber alert has become an issue, and this was evident in 2023, when more than 188,000 individuals went missing who did not meet the criteria for an Amber alert.
“We know that many Native persons who have gone missing during this crisis have fallen into this category, there is no reason why they should not have an alert code,” said Hobbs. “Tribal communities deserve to know that when their loved ones go missing, they have the same tools and resources available as everyone else.”
Arlyssa D. Becenti covers Indigenous affairs for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send ideas and tips to arlyssa.becenti@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs talks education, water in tribal speech