AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY, AZ — It is a legacy that flows through our entire community.
Last month, ABC15 brought you the story of Leona Carlyle-Kakar, a trailblazing leader for the Ak-Chin Indian Community who is credited with negotiating a landmark water rights agreement with the federal government 40 years ago.
We wanted to dive deeper, bring you more context, and show you how that historic agreement has paved the way for growth on the Ak-Chin reservation and beyond.
If you want to see the Ak-Chin Indian Community's future, former Chairman Robert Miguel says you need to see the community's past.
"We were farmers," explains Miguel. "We always have been farmers...Our water was being depleted quickly, and so we couldn't farm the way we wanted to, hence tribal leaders moved forward to create a farm board, and Leona helped with that."
In March, ABC15 honored the life and legacy of Leona Carlyle-Kakar, who passed away last April at the age of 88. In addition to being Ak-Chin's first female leader, she is also credited with helping to negotiate a water rights agreement with the federal government. It marked the very first time any tribe had done so and paved the way for other tribes to follow.
According to the Central Arizona Project, 14 of Arizona's 22 federally recognized tribes have some sort of water rights in place.
Miguel tells ABC15 the water has helped fuel economic development on the reservation in all areas - from gaming to growing.
According to the tribe, the Ak-Chin have roughly 16,000 acres of cultivated farmland, making it one of the largest farming communities in the entire country.
Ak-Chin officials say they grow everything from cotton and barley to potatoes, alfalfa, and corn. They are also known for their pecans.
"I come in at the end of the season, and I see 20 to 30 bags as tall as us!" explains Miguel. "It's all thanks to the water they fought so hard for nearly half a century ago."
And it's not just the Ak-Chin reservation feeling the impacts. Hundreds of acre-feet of water are pumped in and out every single day from the reservoir that's located within the community, and through the Central Arizona Project system. That water gets transferred as far away as Anthem.
It's in the soil where Miguel says his people not only honor their roots but also embrace their future at the same time.
"Farming is who we've always been and we will always be," says Miguel.
But it hasn't always been easy. There have been several amendments to the water rights agreement over the years, as well as legal challenges.
Still, we all benefit from the agriculture on the Ak-Chin reservation. According to Miguel, if you're eating fries at In-N-Out, there is a good chance the potatoes used came from the Ak-Chin Indian Community!
