Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin - Federation of American ...

under control. In keeping with this concept, the
DISHLS and UMI are working to provide access to
such training and education to appropriate tribal,
community, county, and federal personnel. This
initiative is designed to increase the cost effectiveness
and timeliness of homeland security training
and education, and rests upon the current federal
mandate to all branches of government to share
information and resources wherever and whenever
possible.
Securing the Reservation Border
Although there is, as yet, insufficient data available
to definitively state that illegal immigration from
Mexico into the U.S. is in a long term decline, Leslie
Fulbright (San Francisco Chronicle), reported in
October 2008 that the numbers of illegal immigrants
have decreased in response to a slowing U.S. economy
and more effective border security measures. 28
Ronald J. Hansen (The Arizona Republic) stated that
illegal immigration in the U.S. has dropped by about
eleven percent over the last year. He attributes this
to the slowing American economy and the stepped
up efforts of the Border Patrol. 29
Despite these reports however, there has yet to
be a noticeable decline in the social and economic
costs of smuggling and illegal immigration on the
Reservation. Tribal, state, and federal personnel
continue to find enforcement of the 78 mile Tohono
O’odham border with Mexico a daunting challenge
and continue to seek effective and efficient intelligence
training opportunities through which they
can enhance their abilities to collect, process, and
apply intelligence to their vital homeland security
mission.
Conclusion
The creation of the border between Mexico and the
U.S. caused many serious, although not immediately
apparent, problems for the Desert People. In
1853, none who signed the Gadsden Treaty could
have foreseen the wave of violence and crime that
now characterizes life on the border. Because they
had nothing to do with creating the border in the
first place, the Tohono O’odham have historically
regarded it with ambivalence. In recent decades
however, drug and human smuggling have made it
necessary for federal officials, including the Border
Patrol, to critically scrutinize roads and communities
throughout the Reservation.
Although the majority of the Desert People support
efforts to stop smuggling and illegal immigration
from Mexico into the U.S. through their vast
Reservation, many are often disconcerted by constant
interaction with non-O’odham law enforcement
personnel. Differences in values, attitudes,
and beliefs sometimes lead to misunderstandings
that are not conducive to effective cooperation between
local tribal members who may have information
that could help build the intelligence base
needed to secure the border.
Gaining the cooperation of the Desert People could
be more easily accomplished if they were convinced
that non-O’odham law enforcement personnel understood,
and showed deference to, O’odham ways
and culture. The successful completion of a comprehensive
course on the language, history, traditions,
values, and culture of the Desert People by all
non-O’odham tasked with securing the Reservation
border with Mexico would be compelling evidence of
the desire of local, state, and federal governments
to work in respectful partnership with the Tohono
O’odham Nation. Such a course could be developed
and offered (some parts of it via DL) through a cooperative
venture between USAIC (DISHLS and UMI)
and the Tohono O’odham Community College.
Many tribal members now view with alarm the
numbers of O’odham youth who have been recruited
to work for the drug cartels and smugglers. They
know that unless the current invasion is halted,
the Reservation cannot become a prosperous, safe
hearth of traditional O’odham culture. An effective,
well planned long term effort to stop illegal immigration
and drug smuggling on the Reservation is
possible if federal, state, and other authorities fully
cooperate and consult with the Tohono O’odham
Nation.
Though the federal government has a moral obligation
to protect the rights of all indigenous groups
in the Nation, shielding the Tohono O’odham from
the disastrous consequences of smuggling and illegal
immigration is especially important because the
security of the Reservation is increasingly linked
to the security of the entire U.S. Actionable intelligence
coupled with high quality applied training
and education can do much to assist the tribal police,
Border Patrol and other law enforcement agencies
as they cooperatively endeavor to secure the
border.
44 Military Intelligence