Evolution of Tribal Govt. Alliances in Pursuit of Indian Self-Determination after WW II: History of InterTribal Council of AZ

This collaborative project aims to create an audio-visual and archival history of the Inter Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA), one of the most significant inter tribal organizations in the United States, about which there is no documented history at this time. The ITCA was established during an era in which the U.S. federal government sought to terminate its legal and political relationship with Indian tribal governments. This change in federal policy prompted the highest elected officials from the tribal governments in Arizona to establish an inter-tribal organization that would represent their collective interests against the threat to Indian tribal sovereignty. Since its formation, the ITCA has become an influential political force in the State and nation, becoming a strong advocate for the tribal governments in Arizona on various federal and state legislative issues and policies throughout the years. Today, the ITCA represents many of the most powerful Indian tribal governments in the nation, which govern over 28 percent of the land base in Arizona.

This project will analyze the role of ITCA in the development of national Indian policy in the U.S. in the critical era following World War II to the present. The history will be developed primarily from the perspectives of tribal leaders who founded and have led the Association. The project will also document the evolution of ITCA, including interviews with executive staff, identifying the goals and activities of the organization from its earliest years, as well as the strategies and tactics used by the Association’s leadership in critical periods of change.