"There's no literal translation in English that does justice to the tribal word himdag. As Governor of the Gila River Indian Community, himdag guides my every decision, my every action. Himdag, as passed down by our elders across hundreds of years, teaches us respect for all things, including the value of a promise, abiding by the law and concern for the welfare of others.

Respect as a guiding principle feels old-fashioned in the 21st century, but it exists all the same - even when our community is compelled to sign its name to a lawsuit against the United States Department of the Interior.

You may have read about that lawsuit, filed Sept. 16. You may have also read about Glendale's lawsuit to stop the casino, filed this week. Out of respect, I believe that I must explain the reasons why my community so pointedly disagrees with Washington and with a southern Arizona sister tribe's plan to build a casino on land they secretly bought in Glendale, 160 miles from their reservation headquarters.

My explanation can be summed up in a single sentence.

We believe the Tohono O'odham Nation, with the assistance of the federal government, has disrespected the rule of law, the balance so carefully struck among Indian gaming tribes, our community, Glendale and every Arizonan."

Get the Story:
Gila River Indian Community Gov. William R. Rhodes: Tribal lawsuit: matter of respect and principle (The Arizona Republic 10/11)

Relevant Documents:
Federal Register Notice: Land Acquisitions; Tohono O'odham Nation, Arizona (August 26, 2010)
Larry Echo Hawk Letter to Tohono O'odham Nation (July 23, 2010)

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