Napolitano advisor working with Arizona tribes

By Stan Bindell
For the Independent

POLACCA, Ariz. — Marnie Hodahkwen, policy advisor on tribal affairs to Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, said she supports a proposal to create a statewide Native American youth council.

Hodahkwen spoke about this proposal and other issues Thursday while addressing journalism, government and current events classes at Hopi High School. She was also interviewed on KUYI radio during the Hopi High Teen Show.
Hodahkwen, a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation from Kansas, said a statewide Native American youth council would give native youth a formal voice to address their own tribal councils as well as the state government.

“A lot of times youth think that adults don’t listen to them or take them seriously. This would make them listen,” she said.

Hodahkwen noted that a half dozen Arizona tribes have youth councils. Hodahkwen told the students that Napolitano meets with tribal leaders four times a year to find out their concerns.

“I enjoy working with the governor because she understands Indian issues and she cares about all parts of the state,” she said.

Hodahkwen said the difference between Napolitano and past governors is that she “actually works with the tribes” as opposed to past governors who didn’t work with the tribes, with Bruce Babbitt as the lone exception.

She said Napolitano’s impact is that the state is working with the tribes on every state issue.

“But the state can continue to improve its relations with the tribes by listening and then doing what they say. If they say they are going to build a road then they should build it,” she said.

22 tribes

Hodahkwen has visited all 22 tribes in Arizona and finds them to have vast differences. Some have large land masses; some have small land masses. Some are close to urban areas. She said the Ak Chin Tribe is able to move quicker than other tribes because they only have a five-member tribal council as opposed to the Navajo Nation, which is much larger and has an 88-member council. She praised the Hopi Tribe for working quickly to execute agreements. Hodahkwen said Napolitano cares about education and created a P-20 Council, which stands for prekindergarten through 20 years old. The governor also recently approved the P-20 Council’s suggestion to increase math and science requirements for graduation, although it’s not clear how soon that will take affect.

Hodahkwen said the governor wants to make sure that the Native American students have the same curriculum and standards as the other students in the state so they can compete in the global community.

Hodahkwen encouraged the students to attend college and added she wished that she had started at a community college. She earned her BA and law degree at Arizona State University. She said students can prepare for college by extensive and enjoyable reading. She said they also need to be able to express themselves in writing.

Hodahkwen told the students the state has an $800 million deficit that is because of a slowdown in housing sales and construction. She said the governor wants to protect important programs like education and health care while the Republican budget calls for cutting 10 percent in all programs.

Transportation

She pointed to transportation issues as one area where it is important for tribes to be involved. She said the state is working on a 20-year plan for road construction and emphasized that it is important for tribes to be involved now before these long-lasting decisions are made.

She joined the governor’s staff in 2004 and serves as the governor’s liaison to Arizona’s 22 tribes. She is an attorney who practiced in the areas of commercial litigation and Indian law. Prior to law school, she worked for the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community in their health and human services department. She also worked briefly for IHS.
During law school, she served as an intern with the Gila River Indian Community law office. She is a graduate of the Indian Legal Program at ASU and has a 13-year-old son Jay.