Letter: Gila River Indian Community deserves right to water

Monday, November 14, 2011  

"The Gila River Indian Community deserves every drop of water right that it has obtained and to use the water for its exclusive benefit.

It is apparent from Earl Zarbin's Nov. 5 column "Tribes have a role in Ariz's water future," that he either does not know or does not care that O'odham (Pima) people starved and died at the turn of the 20th century due to the lack of irrigation water from the Gila River to grow their crops.

The Gila River was illegally diverted up stream of the reservation, despite the fact that the Gila River Indian Community had the right of prior appropriation of the river water."

Get the Story:
David Mowry: Tribe deserves water rights (The Arizona Republic 11/14)