Why San Carlos?

The San Carlos Apache Reservation was established in 1871 and is the 3rd largest reservation in Arizona, encompassing 1.8 million acres of land in Eastern Arizona with a population of over 13,000.

a. San Carlos is one of the poorest Native American communities in the United States, with a median annual household income being below $20,000, with 77% of the population below the poverty level.

b. 76% of the population is unemployed compared to the national unemployment rate of 8.6% and the state of Arizona rate of 9.0%.

c. At the San Carlos Apache Reservation, the violent crime rate is ten times the national average.

d. Organized crime has identified Indian reservations as a haven for the transportation and distribution of Methamphetamine. Tribal Leaders are suggesting that an entire generation of young people may soon be lost to Meth.

e. One out of ten American Indians, 12 and older, become a victim of a violent crime annually. Only 46% of violent crimes against American Indians are reported to police.

f. More than one-third of Native American women are raped during their lifetimes, according to the Department of Justice, compared with a national figure of one in five.

Currently there are few Christian churches and even fewer mission organizations working with and sharing with this unreached people group here in our own backyard. We want to help change that.