Tuesday, December 16, 2025

The Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation neighboring Fountain Hills, Ariz. recently dealt with reports of “aggressive dogs running loose”, resulting in attacks that prompted its police department to increase patrols while urging the public to stay away.

KJZZ’s Gabriel Pietrorazio reports.

Two tribal members were bitten last week and are now recovering from non-lethal injuries, according to acting chief of police Jesse Puffer.

“We did catch three out of the four dogs.”

Incidents like this are not uncommon on tribal lands with canines roaming their 24,000-acre reservation.

Some are seen as strays – often dogs that are dumped there by owners who do not wish to keep them – while others are claimed by tribal members as pets.

“We also have a dog ordinance, too, so people get cited for that as well – depending on what the nature anywhere from, you know, $150 fine and plus you and it can be higher if you can’t show record of vaccination and also licensing.”

The documentary “Remaining Native” tracks Yerington Paiute Tribal member Ku Stevens as he confronts the horror of what his great-grandfather went through in boarding school.

Stevens created a remembrance run tracking the same route his great-grandfather took to escape his boarding school.

KNPR’s Jimmy Romo attended a screening of the film and brings us this report.

Warning: This story includes accounts of violence against children

In 1913, government officials ripped 8-year-old Yerington Paiute Tribe member Frank Quinn from his family and placed him in the Stewart Indian Boarding School near Carson City, Nev. 

As part of her history PhD studies at UNLV, Annie Delgado researches what actually happened to Native children in the U.S. boarding school system.

“The early years are just filled with trauma, abuse, pain, and just assimilation.”  

Many students tried to escape the abuse.

Quinn’s great-grandson Ku Stevens is the protagonist in the documentary, “Remaining Native”.

In the film, viewers learn, along with Stevens, the story of his great-grandfather.

To remember the courage of Native children who tried to escape, Stevens organized a remembrance run from Yerington, Nev. to the Stewart Indian School. 

The first run took place in 2021, followed by three others. .css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}