The Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe is pressing Imperial County officials for action after a remark by Supervisor John Hawk at a transportation meeting drew sharp criticism. Tribal leaders say the comment leaned on racial stereotypes and pulled attention away from the closure of the Picacho Road Bridge, a key connection between Yuma, Arizona, and Imperial County, California.
Video from an April transportation meeting recently surfaced in which Hawk described a trip he made with another official to meet with the tribe about the bridge. He said about 75 people attended and took turns speaking. "I mean it was brutal," he said, adding that "we felt like we were 'scalped.'"
Michael Jack, the Quechan Parks and Recreation director, said he confronted the board directly on Tuesday. He said the original meeting was meant to build support for rebuilding the bridge, not to debate the remark. "I was highly upset," Jack said. "It wasn't just what he said; it was that his feelings were more important than the community's needs." He added that the scalping comment was not the important part and that the focus should be on getting the bridge fixed.
The Picacho Road Bridge has been closed since March 2025. Drivers have since been sent on longer detours across the Ocean-to-Ocean Bridge, where they face train delays and Yuma traffic.
Cody Hartt, a Quechan Tribe member, said the situation puts children at risk. "We're putting our kids in danger crossing railroad tracks, going under underpasses that aren't maintained," Hartt said, calling the area "the major hub to the entire community for anybody coming through Yuma."
Richard Cordero, superintendent of the San Pasqual Valley Unified School District, raised concerns about emergency response. "What route does the ambulance take?" he asked. "Do they take the short route and go all the way around to get to Yuma Regional?"
In a letter sent Wednesday, the president of the Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe wrote that "this is not about politics, it's about respect." The letter demands a public apology, a 30-day timeline for fixing the bridge, an emergency access plan and a government-to-government meeting with the board. Jack said the way to make amends at this stage is for both sides to "come together and do the work."
Hawk sent a statement to Arizona's Family offering an apology to the Quechan Tribe and community members. He said repairing the Picacho Road Bridge is among the board's top priorities and that the board will meet with the tribe on a government-to-government basis. The Imperial County Board of Supervisors also issued a full apology.