Ronnie Lupe
Encyclopedia
Ronnie Lupe was born in Cibecue, Arizona
, and first elected the White Mountain Apache Tribal Chairman in 1966 and has been continually re-elected to the position to the present day. The White Mountain Apache Tribe is located on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation
in Arizona
, north of the capital of Phoenix
. He is known for his activism
on such issues as land
and water right
s, endangered species
, and tribal sovereignty.
as the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act of 2009, which helped establish a reservation-wide system for clean drinking water
. He also signed and helped put together the "Statement of Relationship" policy in 1994, between the tribe and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which recognized "the tribe's aboriginal rights, sovereign authority, and institutional capacity to self-manage its lands". This event also led to the passage of the Joint Secretarial Order 3206, known as the American Indian Tribal Rights, Federal-Tribal Trust Responsibilities, and the Endangered Species Act
in 1997, which concluded that "the federal government's responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act, recognizes the exercise of tribal rights, and ensures that Indian tribes do not bear a disproportionate burden for the conservation
of listed species".
Cibecue, Arizona
Cibecue is a census-designated place in Navajo County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,331 at the 2000 census.The current council leaders are Arnold Beach Sr...
, and first elected the White Mountain Apache Tribal Chairman in 1966 and has been continually re-elected to the position to the present day. The White Mountain Apache Tribe is located on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation
Fort Apache Indian Reservation
The Fort Apache Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in Arizona, United States, encompassing parts of Navajo, Gila, and Apache counties. It is home to the federally recognized White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, a Western Apache tribe. It has a land area of 2,627.608...
in Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, north of the capital of Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. He is known for his activism
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
on such issues as land
Land rights
Land law is the form of law that deals with the rights to use, alienate, or exclude others from land. In many jurisdictions, these species of property are referred to as real estate or real property, as distinct from personal property. Land use agreements, including renting, are an important...
and water right
Water right
Water right in water law refers to the right of a user to use water from a water source, e.g., a river, stream, pond or source of groundwater. In areas with plentiful water and few users, such systems are generally not complicated or contentious...
s, endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
, and tribal sovereignty.
Tribal and political activism
As Tribal Chairman of the White Mountain Apache, Lupe has been very active in helping the tribe retain its sovereignty and rights to its land and resources. He has helped testify for the passage of such legislationLegislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
as the White Mountain Apache Tribe Water Rights Quantification Act of 2009, which helped establish a reservation-wide system for clean drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
. He also signed and helped put together the "Statement of Relationship" policy in 1994, between the tribe and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which recognized "the tribe's aboriginal rights, sovereign authority, and institutional capacity to self-manage its lands". This event also led to the passage of the Joint Secretarial Order 3206, known as the American Indian Tribal Rights, Federal-Tribal Trust Responsibilities, and the Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
in 1997, which concluded that "the federal government's responsibilities under the Endangered Species Act, recognizes the exercise of tribal rights, and ensures that Indian tribes do not bear a disproportionate burden for the conservation
Wildlife management
Wildlife management attempts to balance the needs of wildlife with the needs of people using the best available science. Wildlife management can include game keeping, wildlife conservation and pest control...
of listed species".