Manataba Messenger

To: From: Colorado River Indian Tribes Manataba Messenger 26600 Mohave Road, Parker, AZ 85344 www.manatabamessenger@gmail.com M anataba Vol. 9 Issue 6 The Official Publication of the Colorado River Indian Tribes CRIT Nation, Parker, Arizona 85344 ,, ,, ,, AhaMakhav Newewe Sinom ` Dine M essenger FREE OF CHARGE Website: www.crit-nsn.gov Facebook: CRIT Manataba Messenger 8th Annual Meet at the Flagpole event honored lives lost and inspired victims The 8th Annual Meet at the Flagpole event on the Colorado River Indian reservation was held on high noon on October 21, 2021, at the CRIT Tribal building complex. This successful event was safely held under the tribes' COVID-19 restrictions --it was attended and conducted within its strict mitigation plan as the tribes still struggle to protect the community against the deadly disease. An event held every year to honor the victims of violence, those who lost their lives in domestic violence relationships and the Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women, Janice Patch, the Colorado River Indian Tribes Victim Advocate, led the event with a moment of silence. She stat- ed, "let us remember those of us that may know victims, remembering those that have passed- we all know of them, and we all must continue to speak out." CONTINUED PAGE 3 Photo right: The CRIT Tribal Complex during the Month of October in honor of Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, and Missing Murdered and Indigenous Women. 60 Minutes prime time news show included the Colorado River Indian Tribes Sunday 10/24/2021 www.cbsnews.com Southwest states facing tough choices about water as the Colorado River diminishes Seven states and 30 Native American tribes lying in the Colorado River Basin prepare to make hard choices as water levels plummet due to a 22-year drought. This past week, California declared a statewide drought emergency. It follows the first- ever federal shortage declaration on the Colorado River, triggering cuts to water supplies in the Southwest. The Colorado is the lifeblood of the region. It waters some of the coun- try's fastest-growing cities, nourishes some of our most fertile fields, and powers $1.4 tril- lion in annual economic activity. The river runs more than 1,400 miles, from headwaters in the Rockies to its delta in northern Mexico, where it ends in a trickle. Seven states and 30 Native American tribes lie in the Colorado River Basin. Lately, the river has been run- ning dry due to the historically severe drought. The majestic, meandering Colorado River that cuts through these red cliffs, carving the Grand Canyon, is a wonder of nature and human ingenuity. The Glen Canyon Dam cre- ated Lake Powell, and 300 miles downriver Lake Mead sits behind the Hoover Dam. These reservoirs are now being sucked dry by 40 million different straws - that's the num- ber of people in booming western states who depend on the Colorado to quench their thirst, power their homes, water lawns, and splash in the sun. Its waters irrigate farms that produce 90% of the country's winter greens. To all these demands, add the stress of a 22- year drought - as dry as any period in 1,200 years - and you have a river in crisis. Bill Whitaker: These white bathtub rings; is-- is this where the water used to be? Brad Udall: Absolutely. Brad Udall, a climate scientist at Colorado State University, went out on Lake Powell with us. Bill Whitaker: So all of this would have been underwater? Brad Udall: Yeah. Bill Whitaker: So what does this tell you about what's happening on the Colorado River? Brad Udall: Well, it's a signal of the long-term problem we've been seeing since the year 2000, which is climate change is reducing the flows of the Colorado significantly. Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the two biggest reservoirs in the country, were nearly full in 2000. Today, they are at just about 30% capacity. Brad Udall: The lake's now 155 feet below full. It's dropped something like 50 feet this year. CONTINUED PAGE 2