ACTION NEWS SRPMIC Public Works Department Celebrates National Public Works Week page 9 THE SALT RIVER PIMA-MARICOPA INDIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER www.oodhamnews.org JUNE 20, 2019 SRPMIC Hosts Annual D-Backs Inter-Tribal Youth REQUEST CHANGE SERVICE AZ 85256 Scottsdale, 10005 E. Osborn Road ACTION NEWS O'ODHAM Baseball and Softball Tournament Permit No. 319 Scottsdale, AZ Scottsdale, PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. Postage PAID BY DALTON WALKER purpose of the annual tournament is to More than 1,125 athletes from 75 O’odham Action News SRPD Public Safety [email protected] promote youth baseball and softball. teams representing more than 23 tribes Dispatch Supervisor Like past years, the games were from Arizona, New Mexico, California, and SRPD Offi cer played at multiple locations in the Com- Utah and South Dakota participated. Native American youth from the Salt Receive Lifesaving munity, including the small fields at Pool play and the tournament were River Pima-Maricopa Indian Com- Award Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the broken into four age divisions: Single munity, surrounding communities and page 3 Way of Life Facility Little League field A (9-12), Double A (13-15), and Triple across Indian Country participated in and the Salt River Recreation ballfields. A boys and Triple A girls (both high the 21st annual Arizona Diamondbacks Softball games were played at Papago school age). The Gila River Bears took Inter-Tribal Youth Baseball and Softball Park in western Scottsdale and at Salt first place in the Single A division, the Tournament from May 29 to June 1. The River High School. AZ Savages took first in Double A, the Continued on pages 10 and 11 Aspiring MLB Player Signs to Vandals Desecrating Play University of New Mexico Cemeteries at Night, Community Input Sought Senior Steppers Perform at Rattlers Baseball Next Season Half Time BY TASHA SILVERHORN page 4 O’odham Action News [email protected] Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community athlete Aaron Makil continues to follow his dream to one day join Major League Baseball (MLB). The 21-year-old recently graduated from Chandler-Gilbert Com- munity College, where he signed to play baseball with the CGCC Coyotes right out of high school 2019 Graduate Profi les in 2016. and Messages In early April, Makil an- page 7 nounced that after graduating from CGCC he was signing on to play with the Lobos at the University of New Mexico for the 2020 season. “It’s exciting,” said Makil Community member Aaron Makil wraps up about transferring to a university community college and is set to move on to next year. “I didn’t really talk to the University of New Mexico to play baseball anyone about going to a univer- this fall. sity. The Lobos saw me pitch Submitted photo in the fall, and they contacted both pitcher and shortstop, but me expressing their interest and in his second and final season he continued to follow up with me. remained the team’s pitcher. I eventually went up [to Albu- Academically, Makil hopes to querque] for a visit and I loved it study kinesiology to learn how up there.” the body functions and possibly Phoenix Mercury The Coyotes’ pitcher started have a career in sports medicine. Players Lead Skills his first year at CGCC playing Clinic Continued on page 3 Continued on page 16 page 14 AROUND THE COMMUNITY Volkswagen Settlement Helps SRPMIC Get New School Bus An 84-passenger Blue Bird yellow school bus was purchased in 2018 and SRPMIC recently was reimbursed for the purchase via Volkswagen Diesel Emissions MItigation Trust. Submitted photo BY DALTON WALKER tion trust fund was set aside for Indian O'odham Action News [email protected] tribes. This is how the Community got involved. The SRPMIC Community Development Department filed the On May 28, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Council hosted a meeting with the City of Tempe A 2016 settlement that involved required paperwork for the first fund- Council at Talking Stick Resort. President Martin Harvier provided a brief history of the Community and automaker Volkswagen and billions of reviewed the progress of the Community’s new economic endeavors. The City of Tempe provided an update ing cycle (2018-19) and was awarded dollars has a tiny connection to the Salt on the master plan for the Rio Reimagined project and activity around Tempe Town Lake. In recent news, the $192,886, which was used to reimburse City of Tempe announced that it has removed all radio towers on what is now called “A” Mountain. Because of River Pima-Maricopa Indian Com- the Community for a recent Blue Bird the cultural signifi cance of the mountain to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, there has been a munity in the form of an 84-passenger long-standing effort to remove the towers. President Harvier thanked the Tempe Council for their leadership and yellow school bus purchase. school bus. commitment to work with SRPMIC on issues of common concern. Angela Willeford, Intergovernmental Relations In all, 26 tribes across the U.S. were The German automaker agreed to pay Project Manager. awarded money. Besides SRPMIC, up to $14.73 billion in that settlement the Gila River Indian Community and regarding allegations that it cheated on White Mountain Apache Tribe were the vehicle emission tests and deceived cus- only other Arizona tribal communities tomers. More than half of the funding to receive funds. was to compensate consumers under the The awards were based on reserva- program, and nearly $5 billion went to tion size and population. mitigate the car pollution and invest in The Community will continue to ap- clean vehicle technology. ACTION NEWS ply each year in the subsequent funding Of that, $2.7 billion was earmarked award cycles. for a mitigation trust fund to help com- To read more about the Volkswagen pensate for the environmental damage Diesel Emissions Environmental Miti- done or potentially done by vehicles gation Trust, which includes informa- sold in the settlement time frame, ac- tion on the Indian Tribe Trust, visit cording to a 2016 Indian Country Today www.vwenvironmentalmitigationtrust. analysis. com. Check out our online edition at http://www.oodhamnews.org About $50 million of the mitiga- 2 O'odham Action News June 20, 2019 Continued from page 1 Aspiring MLB Player Signs to Play University of New Mexico Baseball Next Season But his ultimate goal is to be drafted into the MLB. “Hopefully I get drafted,” said Makil. “I have talked to a couple of scouts here and there, but they want to see what I can do at the next level, which is the university level. Hopefully that will open some eyes and I’ll get drafted. I don’t care which team I go to, I just want to be in the MLB.” With Makil’s determination, com- petitiveness and family support there is no doubt he will reach his goal. Makil has been playing baseball since he was 8 years old. He said that he gained his competitiveness from his dad, the late Jason Makil, as he watched him play in baseball leagues in and around the Com- munity. He learned his determination from his mother, Rebecca Makil, who has inspired him to be strong and keep his composure when things get tough. Makil is up to bat during one of his many games with Makil played two years of Coyotes baseball at As a pitcher, Makil hopes to progress at the “It gives me something to look the CGCC Coyotes. Chandler-Gilbert Community College as the pitcher. University of New Mexico and eventually continue on forward to and forces me to be like her his baseball career in the major leagues. Submitted photos. and get where I need and want to go, be- cause I know it’s going to be tough these prove that they did right in teaching me next couple of years trying to make it in to have a good head on my shoulders,” the MLB,” he said. said Makil. “I am thankful for my fam- Makil thanks his entire family for be- ily to be there all the time. I know they ing a strong will always have my back, and their support support keeps me going.” system to As Makil continues toward his goals, him and his he advises young Community athletes siblings. and students to stay positive. “Don’t let “Just see- others be a negative influence on what ing them in your goals are, and don’t be afraid to set the stands, your goals high,” he said. regardless if To follow Makil’s new team at the it’s a home or University of New Mexico, visit the away game, Lobos website at https://golobos.com/ gives me schedule.aspx?path=baseball. motivation to Aaron Makil Makil along with his family after one of his CGCC games. SRPD Public Safety Dispatch Supervisor and SRPD Officer Receive Lifesaving Award BY DETECTIVE JOSEPH OROZCO Daniels arrived on scene Salt River Police Department within three minutes after being dispatched. He ran to On Wednesday evening, the front entrance of Casino May 29, Salt River Police Arizona and found the victim Department (SRPD) Public lying on the ground; she was Safety Dispatch Supervisor not breathing and had a faint Marcy Thomas and SRPD pulse. Police Officer Nicholas Dan- Off. Daniels immediately iels received the prestigious initiated continuous CPR and Lifesaving Award from SRPD emergency medical care. Ca- Chief Karl G. Auerbach during sino Arizona Security assisted the Salt River Pima-Maricopa with CPR while Officer Dan- Indian Community Council iels administered two applica- meeting.