O’odham Tribes Oppose Renaming of Loop 202

April 17, 2026

GRIN/CPAO Staff

Gila River Indian News

Last month, Arizona governor Katie Hobbs vetoed Senate Bill 1010 that proposed the renaming of the Loop 202, also known as the South Mountain Freeway, to the Charlie Kirk Highway. Kirk was republican activist and founder of Turning Point USA, a non-profit organization committed to “identifying, educating, training, and organizing students to promote freedom,” with its headquarters located in Phoenix. Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking event in Utah last year.

Hobbs issued a statement on the veto of SB1010, on March 27, saying that the bill fell short of working toward solutions that bring people together and must follow the current process through the Arizona State Board on Geographic and Historic Names (ASBGHN) and not be circumvented by the Legislature.

“Kirk’s assassination is tragic and a horrifying act of violence,” Hobbs said. “In America, we resolve our political differences at the ballot box. No matter who it targets, political violence puts us all in harm’s way and damages our sacred democratic institutions.”

Prior to the bill’s veto, the four O’odham tribes: Ak-Chin Indian Community, Gila River Indian Community, Tohono O’odham Nation, and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community came together to issue a strong opposition letter of SB1010 to Hobbs, explaining the cultural significance of South Mountain and the bill’s severe lack of tribal consultation.

“This proposal is deeply troubling not only for its procedural irregularities, but more fundamentally for what it would mean to the O’odham and Pee Posh whose sacred ancestral lands this highway traverses.”

ASBGHN policies and procedures recognizes the state’s 22 tribal nations and history of their traditional names of geographic features within the modern landscape by seeking inclusion, collaboration, and comment in the review of relevant proposals. SB1010 did not follow those procedures.

The tribes defend the sacred and traditional culture of South Mountain, which is Muhadag/Avikwaxos Do’ag in the O’odham and Pee Posh language and translates to ‘Greasy Mountain’ and stated that “when the South Mountain Freeway was constructed, our people stood peacefully resistant to the protect this sacred place. We made clear then, as we do now, that this land holds profound religious and cultural significance that cannot be compromised.”

The statement also notes that as recently as August 2025, Kirk dismissed land acknowledgements – which simply recognize the historical presence of Native peoples on their ancestral lands, by saying they have a “sinister evil undercurrent,” suggesting they are a pretext to “take” land.

“These statements reveal a worldview that denies the legitimacy of Indigenous peoples’ connection to their lands,” the tribes stated. “To honor Mr. Kirk with a highway designation along Muhadag/Avikwaxos would send a message to our nations, and to all Arizona tribes, that our sacred places do not matter, that our sovereignty is not respected, and that our very existence as Indigenous peoples is something to be dismissed or denied.”

Statement from Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis in support of Hobbs’ veto of SB1010:

“Governor Hobbs made the right decision in vetoing SB 1010. We appreciate her leadership in recognizing that Arizona’s public infrastructure should bring people together, not divide communities or disregard the voices of those most directly affected.

Let me be clear: the murder of Charlie Kirk was a tragedy, and we condemn that act of violence in the strongest possible terms. There is no place for political violence in our state or our country.

At the same time, this proposal raised profound concerns for the Gila River Indian Community and other tribal nations. Loop 202 runs through and alongside Muhadag/Avikwaxos Do’ag – South Mountain – a place of deep cultural, spiritual, and historical significance to our people. This is not simply land; it is sacred.

Mr. Kirk’s public statements about Native peoples, tribal sovereignty, and our connection to our ancestral lands were deeply offensive. They dismissed our identity and centuries of our history. To associate his name with this corridor would have compounded that harm.

Additionally, our traditions include a prohibition against speaking the names of the deceased. Applying such a name to a prominent public feature that traverses our lands would conflict directly with our cultural and religious practices.

This proposal also attempted to bypass Arizona’s longstanding, established process for naming and renaming public roadways. For many years, such decisions have been made through the State Board on Geographic and Historic Names, with appropriate review and consultation. That process exists for a reason – to ensure consistency, respect, and public input – and it should not be circumvented for political purposes.

Arizona’s transportation system must respect the communities it serves and the lands it crosses. We are grateful that Governor Hobbs upheld these principles and honored the importance of tribal consultation, cultural respect, and the integrity of sacred places.”