Thread: AZ: O'Odham (Indians) to Get New Travel Card

Tucson Region

O'odham to get new travel card

Will verify tribal standing, allowing entry into US

By Mariana Alvarado
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.04.2009

The Department of Homeland Security and the Tohono O'odham Nation have announced an agreement to develop an Enhanced Tribal Card that verifies tribal citizenship in order to enter the U.S. by land or sea.

The agreement to create a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) was formalized Tuesday in Washington and signed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Assistant Commissioner Thomas S. Winkowski and Ned Norris Jr., chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation.

The DHS implemented WHTI at land and sea ports of entry June 1. The initiative requires travelers to present an approved travel document, such as a passport, to enter the U.S.

Once the tribal card is tested and issued, it will also be accepted for border crossings.

"This agreement will strengthen safety along our borders while providing Tohono O'odham members a secure and standardized ID card," Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said in a prepared statement.

The Tohono O'odham Nation has 28,000 enrolled citizens. The nation's lands include 75 miles of the international border in Southwestern Arizona, and its lands extend into Mexico. It is the only Indian tribe that has land in both countries.

Ofelia Rivas, an activist for O'odham rights, said it is important that the new travel card will include tribal members living in Mexico, who currently have very restricted travel IDs.

The Pascua Yaqui Tribe in Tucson has a similar agreement with the DHS.

Contact reporter Mariana Alvarado at 573-4597 or malvarado@azstarnet.com

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/316081

Edit: I have removed an initial comment below this article because a member considered it objectionable, and moved it below. Texas2step

I have to take exception with your comment at the bottom of your post! As a Native that fights crap like this at home in Canada, Natives are territorial, and we DO NOT allow people to come in and "use" our reservations for purposes such as you propose they do. My people have a rez with parts in NY, Quebec and Ontario... we face the same crap crossing the border now even though out treaties DO NOT recognize the 49th parallell. Jusr because we have people residing in 2 countries PLEASE do no assume we will allow illegals free reign on our land!

I am posting an article on the "good" the Shadow Wolves do:

Shadow Wolves: Native Americans Tracking Al-Qaeda
April 06, 2007 by
Jamie K. Wilson
Jamie K. Wilson
Jamie K. Wilson

Native Americans
From Smugglers to Terrorists, the Shadow Wolves Capture Their Prey
You may never have heard of the Shadow Wolves. That's okay; they keep things on the low-down. The Wolves are an elite group of Native American trackers recruited from Navajo, Sioux, Lakota, Apache, Tohono O'odham, and other Indian nations. In the
last three decades, they have become famous among law enforcement personnel for their skill at capturing smugglers along the US-Mexico border, particularly in the long Tohono O'odham (often referred to incorrectly as the Papago) reservation that straddles the border.

Today, the Shadow Wolves are tracking a different prey along a different border; they have reportedly been sent to Afghanistan to track Al Qaeda along the Afghan-Pakistan border.

The Shadow Wolves: Traditional Warriors

The United States military has used the skills of Native American trackers for hundreds of years; Indian scouts have shared their skills with the colonists and later the U.S. since the early 1600s. After the capture of Geronimo, when it seemed clear that the West was safe for pioneers to settle, the use of Indian scouts trailed off into nothing, and Native Americans found jobs in other industries such as skyscraper construction.

But there has always been a military tradition among Native Americans, and, despite everything, there is a strong sense of American patriotism among many as well. During World War II, Navajo Windtalkers proved invaluable as codetalkers, their encoded native language impossible for the Axis spies to penetrate. Many Indians have won high honors in 20th century wars, including 5 Medals of Honor in World War II and Korea.

Today, the Shadow Wolves carry on a portion of that tradition. Since the early 1970s, they have used ancient tracking and hunting skills and their ability to easily communicate with other Native Americans (who might be hostile to traditional law enforcement) to track drug smugglers and, more recently, people smugglers in the deadly Sonoran Desert. They have managed to capture millions, perhaps billions, of dollars worth of contraband and serve as a vital part of today's homeland security.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art..._tracking.html[/b]

Nomas:

I meant no offense to Native Americans! My point was that what I believe are outside organizations often pounce on small groups like this and promote thier "injustices" for their own agendas. How can this small tribe in such a remote area keep out illegal aliens? In fact, I read that this particular tribe now is being overhwelmed and terrorized by foreign 'migrants' who walk boldly through their small villages, frightening women and children. Drugs are smuggled through, they leave their trash, etc.. I have heard of the wonderful work and bravery of the "Shadow Wolves". When one of the famed "Navajo Code Talkers" died several weeks ago, I posted the story at ALIPAC and sent it to ABC with the suggestion that it be used in the "In Memoriam" portion of the "This Week" Sunday morning show. Instead, they featured a wealthy Wall Street financier who had died.

I have removed my original comment from beneath the article and relocated it below. That way, readers will read your comment first.

Well, this should make Arizona open-border activists such as present Arizona Rep. Raul Guijalva, former AZ Rep. Jim Kolbe, Sen. John McCain, Janet Napolitano, et. al., estatic. This is a very remote area, and Indian tribes have separate legal systems enforced on their reservations by their own tribal police and judges - yet another area, in addition to national parks, where the U.S. Border Patrol either cannot operate or has little access. What bad luck for them to have found a small U.S. Indian tribe with members in both countries and find another reason to further open our Southern border.

Thanks Texas2step. I might be a bit touchy on the subject...LOL! My people on Akwesasne ( St. Regis, NY) had to put up with the "rumors" for years after 9/11 that we smuggled the terrorists across the border. Like I said invaders are not accepted into or onto our Reservations, I know we have "Warriors" that stand up for our rights in Canada and the Tohono have their "Wolves".

I also apologize if I jumped to a snap judgement.

No apology necessary, nomas!

While the Code Talkers were helping hold our enemies at bay during World War II because they could not break their codes, I, with millions of other American babies, was able to sleep safely in my crib (a bed, not a dwelling place), and grow up in a safe and free country. I was shocked and greatly saddened to learn that these brave men evidently were not even given U.S. Veterans' benefits because their unique and heroic work was still considered secret classified information until the 1960's.

Navajo Nation Mourns Passing of Code Talker
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-174665-navajo.html

Today, the Shadow Wolves are tracking a different prey along a different border; they have reportedly been sent to Afghanistan to track Al Qaeda along the Afghan-Pakistan border.


But there has always been a military tradition among Native Americans, and, despite everything, there is a strong sense of American patriotism among many as well. During World War II, Navajo Windtalkers proved invaluable as codetalkers, their encoded native language impossible for the Axis spies to penetrate. Many Indians have won high honors in 20th century wars, including 5 Medals of Honor in World War II and Korea.

That's wayy cool. I didn't know they sent some Native Americans into battle in this current war.