Arizona’s New Tribal ID Symbol Gains Rapid Popularity
In a remarkable development, the Arizona Department of Transportation has issued over 10,400 identification cards featuring a new insignia that signifies tribal identity. This initiative, available to enrolled tribal members, has quickly gained traction since its introduction.
The legislation allowing this new marker went into effect in January. Arizona boasts the third-largest Indigenous population in the United States, with Indigenous people constituting about 5% of the state’s residents.
The measure was spearheaded by Democratic state House Representative Myron Tsosie, a member of the Navajo Nation. His bipartisan effort not only succeeded in Arizona but also inspired a similar proposal in New Mexico. However, New Mexico lawmakers have not yet adopted the designation in their current legislative session.
In recent months, increased activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has primarily focused on migrants, but there have been reports of tribal citizens being affected as well.
