The Salt River Indian Community, near Phoenix, Ariz., was awarded the Meritorious Program Award of the American Institute of Planners Sunday, October 8 during the annual conference of the Institute at the Sheraton-Boston Hotel in Boston, Mass. The award is for the social planning the Indian community has developed over a five year period. This will be the first time in the history of the Institute's award program that the award has gone to an Indian community.
Receiving the award was Paul Smith, President, and Salt River Indian Community. He was accompanied by Garnet Gates, the Community's Vice President, and Vivian Andrews, Executive secretary. The award was I presented by Darn C. McGrath Jr., Institute President.
Awards were also given Metro Center, Baltimore, and the Twin Cities -- Minneapolis-St. Paul. The Indian community was nominated for the award by the Desert Southwest Chapter of the American Institute of Planners.
The citation that accompanied the award reads:
Whereas the Pima and Maricopa peoples who compromise the salt River Indian Community of approximately 2,000 persons on 49,000 acres of land near Scottsdale, Ariz., recognizing their economic difficulties, the increasing urbanization surrounding that their land was literally their only resource, I have initiated the first major planning program of its kind, and
Whereas, the Community, recognizing the need to retain its own identity, while producing a planning program which will enable it to improve its facilities, services and economic position has involved over 90 percent of its citizens directly, in the planning process, so that for the first time a plan has been created for an Indian community by an Indian community, and
Whereas the planning program has developed since 1967 such elements as creation of citizen participation, the development of a general plan, and the evolution of effective administrative guides for implementation, including capital improvement programming, and Whereas, through its planning efforts the Salt River Indian Community has made such measurable improvements as the adoption of a new Constitution, the hiring of paid-professional administrative personnel. a major decrease in unemployment, new educational programs, the construction of an industrial park, the adoption of zoning regulations and the improvement of its housing stock to the point where housing is now adequate for 30 percent of its families, and
Whereas, the Salt River Indian Community has set a record of its accomplishment in planning and management unpatrolled for any effort of its kind, one which can only be viewed with humility by those whose initial resources are so much greater, an example of resourcefulness and courage.
Now, be it therefore resolved by the Board of Governor of the American Institute of Planners that the.
Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community Be presented with a Meritorious Program Award in the category of social responsibility by this Institute.
