Gov. Hobbs delivers her State of the Tribal Nations address on Jan. 15, 2025, in Phoenix. Photo courtesy of the Navajo Nation Council
As the new legislative year begins, Gov. Katie Hobbs is announcing her priorities for the state, which includes Arizona’s 22 Tribal Nations, whose tribal lands make up 28% of the state’s land base and where Indigenous people make up 6% of the state population.
“Our tribal communities are ignored so much,” Hobbs said in an interview with The Arizona Mirror. She said that her commitment to working with tribes dates back to her work as Secretary of State when she worked to address voting barriers.
“I see it all the time; they’re brought to the table at the end of a discussion,” Hobbs said, adding that when she became governor, she knew it would give her more ability to work with tribal communities.
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Arizona’s tribes have continuously fought to have a seat at the table. Their contributions can be seen in state policies that have shaped Arizona, including access to voting rights, tribal gaming compacts, and negotiations for water rights.
When Hobbs took office, she said the state’s relationship with tribes was treated as if they were negotiating tradeoffs and more like “what we can get from you,” which is not how she likes to operate.
“There’s so many issues that are prevalent in the state – water, infrastructure – and they affect all communities, not just Maricopa County,” Hobbs said, adding that having tribal representation at the table is critical.
“It’s not just about making sure that their needs are met, but what they can contribute to helping solve the problem as well,” Hobbs said.
With the new legislation season starting and a presidential administration coming in, Hobbs said she wants to ensure she works with everyone on issues that are the “right thing for Arizona” and stand up to them when they are not.
“I’m gonna work hard to make sure that we’re not backtracking on any of the progress we’ve made,” she added.
In her second Tribal State of the State address, Hobbs highlighted her accomplishments, commitments, and priorities concerning Arizona’s tribal nations.
She is one of the only sitting Arizona governors in recent years to have directly engaged with tribal nations during her State of the State addresses.
Hobbs’ speech aligned with the one she delivered on the Arizona House floor on Jan. 13, with an “Arizona promise” but with a focus on the state’s tribal nations.
“Since I became governor, we have achieved much together by finding common ground, but we must do more,” Hobbs said. “As we go forward, let us work together to make that promise a reality today and for years to come.”
Hobbs gave her address to a room full of Indigenous leaders on Jan. 15 during the tribal leader’s breakfast hosted by the Inter-Tribal Association of Arizona. The event kicks off the state’s Indian Nations and Tribes Legislative Day.
“She’s always been there as a support for tribal nations,” Navajo Nation Speaker Crystalyne Curley said of the governor, adding that she did some great work last legislative season and looks forward to collaborating with the state on important issues.
Some of the achievements Hobbs talked about included the continuation of the Governor’s Office on Tribal Relations, the signing of historic water settlements, supporting Native-owned small businesses, investments in education, food security and social services, veteran outreach, broadband expansion and infrastructure.
“ I know this is not enough, but you can trust that, as long as I am governor, investing in tribal communities and closing these gaps will continue to be a priority,” Hobbs said.
Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis said the Hobbs administration has incredible partnerships with tribes, which can be seen in the projects she’s supported since taking office.
A project Lewis is proud to have partnered with Hobbs on is the widening of Interstate 10, specifically the 22 miles that pass through the Gila River Indian Community. Lewis said that previous attempts to fund the expansion often failed because the tribe and state didn’t work together, but that changed.
“This is the first time a sitting state governor and tribal that actually went and lobbied together,” Lewis said, adding that they visited the Department of Transportation and the White House to advocate for the project.
Lewis said their work should be seen as a “historic best practice” for when tribes and state leadership collaborate to accomplish something that benefits both the tribe and state.
“Once completed, this project will ease congestion, improve safety and ensure this highly utilized corridor stays reliable for generations to come,” Hobbs said in her speech.
Hobbs emphasized her commitments in her speech, which include missing and murdered Indigenous peoples, repatriation of Native American artifacts, supporting tribal healthcare, housing development and economic opportunities, establishing the sober living response fund and protecting water rights.
Addressing the missing and murdered Indigenous peoples crisis has always been a priority for Indigenous communities across Arizona. When Hobbs took office, she signed an executive order to create an MMIP task force focused on identifying priorities and ways to address the crisis.
Hobbs said one of the biggest challenges she has heard about most related to MMIP is the trouble of raising awareness about a missing person before it’s too late.
In Arizona, DPS issues an Amber Alert only when the missing individual is under 18 and meets five specific guidelines.
“In 2023, more than 188,000 individuals went missing who did not meet the criteria for an Amber Alert,” Hobbs said. “These are mothers and fathers, neighbors and loved ones who are now lost because there is no alert code set up for them.”
Hobbs said they know many Indigenous people who have gone missing in Arizona during the MMIP crisis have fallen into that category of not qualifying for an alert.
“There’s no reason why they should not have an alert code,” she said.
To address the issue, Hobbs said she is directing 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 persons who do not meet the criteria for Amber Alerts.
“Tribal communities deserve to know that when their loved ones are missing, they have the same tools and resources available as everyone else,” Hobbs said. “I hope this will bring us one step closer to ending this crisis once and for all.”
Rep. Teresa Martinez, whose district includes the Gila River Indian Community, is sponsoring House Bill 2281, which would create a missing Indigenous peoples alert system.
Another big issue affecting tribes in Arizona is the continued impact of the fraudulent sober living homes that have plagued the state and caused harm to thousands of Indigenous people.
Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes announced nearly two years ago that the state would take action to address the unregulated sober living home providers across the state.
Hobbs said some of the state’s responses included implementing stricter provider enrollment, a humanitarian response, developing initiatives to combat waste, fraud, abuse, and exploitation, and legislation to bring transparency and accountability to Arizoan’s healthcare system.
“I know that more work must be done,” Hobbs said, which is why, as part of her Executive Budget, she includes $7 million to establish the Sober Living Home Tribal Response Fund at the Attorney General’s Office to assist tribes with the continued response to this crisis.
“In consultation with all 22 federally recognized tribes in the state, the Attorney General’s Office will use these funds to mitigate the impact of the Sober Living Home crisis and assist in the creation and proliferation of culturally responsive behavioral health services for Indigenous Arizonans,” she said.
Hobbs also laid out some of the other big priorities in her address to tribes, including proposing a $7 million investment to support the repatriation of Native American Human Remains and Artifacts from the Arizona State Museum, making the 12-month postpartum coverage permanent, distributing funding for broadband expansion projects within Indigenous communities, and upholding tribal sovereignty.
“For tribal nations, realizing the Arizona Promise is impossible without respect for tribal sovereignty, which is not only a matter of justice but a foundation for preserving culture, strengthening communities, and building a future of shared prosperity,” she said.
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