U.S. Department of the Interior visits Sacaton for Probate Trust Event

April 17, 2026

Jeston Morris

Gila River Indian News

SACATON, Ariz. — The Pima Agency’s Office of the Superintendent hosted a two-day probate trust fair April 7-8 at District 3 Service Center, drawing Gila River Indian Community members seeking assistance with probate and trust matters. Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis welcomed and accompanied a visiting delegation from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The delegation includes Bryan Mercier, director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs; Mike Olsen, associate deputy secretary of the Interior; Janel Broderick, principal deputy assistant secretary for Indian Affairs; and Jessie Durham, Western Regional director for Indian Affairs.

Tamera Dawes, deputy regional director of trust service for Indian Affairs, said the fair served the O’otham sister tribes — Gila River, Salt River, Ak-Chin, and Tohono O’odham — and was designed to help the backlog of probate trust assets across Indian Country.

Stations at the event include GRIC’s Vital Record Office, Probate, Real Estate, Bureau Trust Fund Administration, Salt River Community Development, and Southern Arizona Legal Aid. Attendees checked in and waited to be called for one-on-one assistance.

Resolving probate trust cases can be lengthy, said Pamela Kessay, legal administrative specialist for Indian Affairs. Key documents often required include a certificate of Indian blood, marriage license, divorce decree, adoption record, birth certificate, death certificate, and a will. Many of these records are available to GRIC members through the Community’s vital records office.