I had the opportunity to attend a hearing in the Senate that covered topics such as tribal roads, schooling for Native American children and the possibility of implementing the indian school bus route maintenance program. There were a few senate and house members, as well as tribal members in attendance. Basically, there is a demand for more tax money to be allocated to better the school systems, roads to get to those schools, and the bus systems that allow the children to get to school safely.
States and counties that have indian reservations within their borders share an interest in tribal roads because both tribal members and non-members use them. To be certified by the state and comply with state and county school standards, each school must be accessible. There are still schools throughout Arizona that have dirt roads as the only access point to the school. The lowest grades around the state come from rural school districts, the biggest reason being lack of attendance. Funding is necessary in order to help desperate areas in Arizona and to raise the success rates of children going through school systems in these areas.
I had the opportunity to personally meet Senator Begay at this meeting and a few other members from the AD Hoc Committee. Once the hearing was adjourned, I went on to create a newsletter for the counties regarding the hearing. This was a wonderful experience and I look forward to attending other hearings in the upcoming weeks.
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