from akimel o’odham youth collective
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Contact:
Andrew Pedro: apedro7556@gmail.com
Alex Soto: hiphopisresistance@gmail.com
On Wednesday August 27, a group of 20 people from the Gila River Indian Community and Phoenix area gathered to protest the South Mountain Loop 202 freeway proposed by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), and their decision to open the South Mountain Freeway to Public-Private-Partnership (P3) proposals. A P3 is a business deal between the public sector and a company or companies who take on some combination of design, build, maintain, and finance that makes the project more attainable by allowing the $1.8 billion freeway to be built without ADOT coming up with the funds. The companies benefit from tax-breaks, low-interest loans, and state tax dollars years down the line.
Freeway resistors marched and rallied outside and inside the Maricopa Associations of Governments (MAG) Regional Council and ADOT Priority Planning Committee meetings since both have direct influence in the planning and approval of the freeway project. Resistors held banners that read “Defend the Sacred: Save South Mountain” and “Caution Biohazard: Loop 202″. Members from the Akimel O’odham Youth Collective were in attendance and shared the negative health, environmental and cultural implications that the freeway would bring if built.
Demonstrators who spoke at the meeting specifically addressed the inherent racism of ADOT’s decision to double down on the construction of the proposed freeway even after Gila River Indian Community members voted for a “no build” option in an official vote. ADOT’s disregard for the objections of Akimel O’odham people from the Gila River Indian Community, and their democratic process, shows that ADOT is committed to lining developers and construction companies’ pockets, not respecting the decision making of the original inhabitants of this region.
“Gila River has said no three times. As recently as 2012 the Gila River Indian Community voted for the No Build option because Moadak (South Mountain) is a sacred site. But MAG and ADOT are still pushing for this freeway with P3’s, which totally undermines tribal sovereignty,” said Andrew Pedro of Sacaton. “No means No.”
With the water shortage cited as one reason, a speaker stated, “We do not need more expansion, especially in the form of new roads, and especially not for the purpose of facilitating international trade freight traffic.”
“Gila River has said no three times. As recently as 2012 the Gila River Indian Community voted for the No Build option because Moadak (South Mountain) is a sacred site. But MAG and ADOT are still pushing for this freeway with P3’s, which totally undermines tribal sovereignty,” said Andrew Pedro of Sacaton. “No means No.”
With the water shortage cited as one reason, a speaker stated, “We do not need more expansion, especially in the form of new roads, and especially not for the purpose of facilitating international trade freight traffic.”
ADOT’s announcement to open up the South Mountain freeway projects to P3 proposals comes before the expected release of the final environmental draft statement (FEIS) this fall. Today’s demonstration is just one of many that both Gila River Indian Community members and Phoenix area residents have held in opposition to the proposed Loop 202 freeway in that past six years.
Multiple speakers stated that if ADOT insists on building the road, freeway resisters will not make it easy for them.
“We are here to show you (ADOT) that we’re not going to make it easy. If it takes being a body in the way of a tractor, so be it”.
About the Akimel O’odham Youth Collective
We are a youth based group of the Gila River Indian Community outreaching, organizing, and informing youth about the issues going on in their community. An example includes the proposed South Mountain Loop 202 freeway extension, going on the reservation or off the reservation. We strongly oppose this project and will be working with all O’odham to stop this freeway. Youth today are always given false information, we hear so many sides of a story, yet most don’t hear all of the information. The AOYC is here to change that, we want to give the correct information to the youth so we may grow stronger as a group as well as a community. We will outreach to youth in the community so that they may become involved in the issues that will affect their future. We want youth to know of the issues that will directly affect not only themselves, but as well as their O’odham Himdag (traditional way of life). AOYC will organize gatherings and rallies so that youth have a say and are heard. In our previous experiences, we have not seen many youth out in the public participating in rallies or demonstrations. We want to empower youth so that the community knows how important these issues are to us. In near future expect more youth actively speaking and doing what is right for our community SO GET INFORMED AND TAKE ACTION!!!! Contact Info: Email: akimeloodhamyc@gmail.com Phone #: (520) 510-3407 Phone #: (520) 350-0603
akimel o’odham youth collective