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History The Gila River Indian Community Cultural Resource Management Program (GRIC-CRMP) began in 1993 with initial funding provided by the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), Department of Interior, as part of the Pima-Maricopa Irrigation Project (P-MIP). The purpose of P-MIP is to plan, construct, and maintain a water delivery system to the Gila River Indian Community utilizing Central Arizona Project (CAP) water. Both the GRIC-CRMP and P-MIP are administered under the tribal Self-Governance Act of 1994. The GRIC-CRMP was formed to help interpret, protect, and perpetuate the culture and traditions of the Akimel O'odham and Pee-Posh people (Pima and Maricopa tribes). The documentation of prehistoric, historic, and sacred sites is considered vital to the rich cultural heritage of these tribes. Since 1993, the GRIC-CRMP has grown to include a staff of over 45 people, roughly half of whom are Native Americans. To date, the program has surveyed over 140,000 acres of the reservation and identified, recorded, and documented over 1,000 prehistoric and historic sites. By the time the P-MIP survey is completed, it is estimated that roughly 146,000 acres (228 square miles) will be covered, making it the largest and most intensive survey project ever carried out in the state of Arizona. The program is supported primarily through the annual self-governance agreements between the BOR and the Gila River Indian Community, although additional funding has been acquired from the tribal budget, grants, and subcontracts with other federal and state agencies and private companies.
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