| Gila River Indian Community | |
| Native Name: | |
| Settlement Type: | Indian reservation |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 583.749 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 14260 |
| Subdivision Type: | Tribe |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Arizona |
| Subdivision Type3: | County |
| Website: | Gila River Indian Community |
The Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) (O'odham language: Keli Akimel Oʼotham, meaning "Gila River People", Maricopa language: Pee-Posh) is an Indian reservation in the U.S. state of Arizona, lying adjacent to the south side of the cities of Chandler and Phoenix, within the Phoenix Metropolitan Area in Pinal and Maricopa counties. The Gila River Indian Community was established in 1859, and the Gila River Indian Community was formally established by Congress in 1939. The community is home for members of both the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and the Pee-Posh (Maricopa) tribes.
The reservation has a land area of and a 2020 Census population of 14,260.[1] It is made up of seven districts[2] along the Gila River and its largest communities are Sacaton, Komatke, Santan, and Blackwater. Tribal administrative offices and departments are located in Sacaton. The Community operates its own telecom company, electric utility, industrial park and healthcare clinic, and publishes a monthly newspaper. It has one of the highest rates of Type 2 diabetes in the world, around 50% of the population.[3] The community voluntarily contributes to Type 2 diabetes research, having participated in many studies of the disease.[4]
Under their constitution, tribal members elect a governor and lieutenant governor at-large. They also elect 16 council members, from single-member districts or sub-districts with roughly equal populations.
The first casino opened in 1994.[8]
Ira H. Hayes Memorial Library
The Ira H. Hayes Memorial Library is located in District 3 in Sacaton, and provides a variety of services to the community.[9]
Lone Butte Ranch (33.2325°N -112.0472°W) is a populated place situated in the community.[10] [11] It has an estimated elevation of 1112feet above sea level.
The community owns and operates Gila River Memorial Airport, a small, private-use airport, located 4 miles southwest of the central business district of Chandler. It was used for cropdusting and air charter operations, with no scheduled commercial services. The airport is no longer used and is in a state of total abandonment.The community also operates Gila River Transit, a public transit system serving all seven districts.
I-10 was built through the southeast to north-central portion of Gila River lands, bringing significant highway traffic through the area.
The Constitution and Bylaws of the Gila River Indian Community of Arizona was ratified by the tribe January 22, 1960, and approved by the US Secretary of the Interior on March 17, 1960. It is available online.[12]
The current Gila River legal code was enacted in 2009. Amendments enacted 15 May 2013, are available online.[13]
Gila River does not recognize marriages performed elsewhere in the state of Arizona. On 15 July 2015, in response to the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage in the United States, the Community Council passed a motion by a vote of 14 to 2 that the gendered language of the Gila River marriage code meant that same-sex marriage was not recognized: