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

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