It's said that fences make good neighbors, and large bodies of water seem to take that that idea to the next level. Perhaps too far. Consider Lake Havasu City and the Chemehuevi tribe. The two communities have been neighbors for decades, but the wide segment of the Colorado River separating them has been a barrier to what could be a broader, more beneficial relationship.

That's why we're glad to see the tribe reaching out to educate people on both sides of the river about the culture and history of those who've called Havasu home for generations.

During his research of visitors to the Havasu Landing Resort, Chemehuevi cultural director Jay Cravath found people weren't familiar with the history of the tribe, and some visitors didn't even know a tribe was connected to the casino and resort.

Tribe employee Matt Leivas is right when he says the effort is long overdue. “It's time for Lake Havasu City to wake up and take a look at what's across the lake here,” he told a News-Herald employee last week. “It's time for people to look at who we are. They're in our backyard, and they don't know who we are. The Chemehuevi tribe has been reaching out for a long time and it has fallen on deaf ears.” Leivas is one of several tribal members charged with “re-indigenizing” his people, or in other words, educating tribal members about their culture. Part of that effort includes educating non-Indians about Chemehuevi culture, starting with the recent exhibit at the ferry building at the English Village.