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Submitted photo
From left, Acting Chief of Hopi Rangers Lt. Bennett Chatter, Ranger Marlaina Joe and Hopi Chairman LeRoy N. Shingoitewa. |
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Navajo-Hopi Observer
KYKOTSMOVI, Ariz. - Hopi Tribe member Marlaina Joe recently graduated from the Central Arizona Regional Law Officers Training Academy (CARLOTA) and has become the newest Hopi ranger.
An 18-week, 720-hour training program helped prepare the 23-year-old from Walpi for her duties as a Hopi ranger, in which she will practice law enforcement, perform agricultural inspections, regulate animal affairs and help with archaeological conservation on the reservation.
Joe has been an aspiring law enforcement official since she was "old enough to know what it was."
"It's been a long time dream," Joe said.
Achieving her dream wasn't an easy task. CARLOTA, which is located on Central Arizona College's campus in Casa Grande, runs a military style program, requiring early morning physical training before attending a full day of classes. The students wear uniforms and are discouraged from fraternizing with the other college students not in CARLOTA, which can be a detrimental distraction.
"I studied a lot and stayed focused on my work," Joe said. "But it was worth it. What you put into it is what you get out of it. It wasn't given to me, I had to earn it."
While at CARLOTA, Joe's coursework included criminal justice system, ethics and professionalism, laws of arrest, search and seizure, rules of evidence, juvenile law and procedures, constitutional law, high risk stops, narcotics and dangerous drugs, crime prevention, impaired driver cases, stress management and vehicle and pursuit operations.
Joe said she is thrilled to start her career as a Hopi ranger. She is especially excited about regulating animals and caring for their wellbeing.
As for future students: "My advice would be to study hard, be prepared every day and expect the unexpected."
Hopi Tribe Chairman LeRoy N. Shingoitewa, who attended the CARLOTA graduation ceremony, said Joe is an inspiration.
"It was certainly a proud moment for Marlaina, her family and our tribe," Shingoitewa said. "When we see the results of hard work and determination come to fruition, particularly in a career such as law enforcement, we can say with pride that she is a role model."
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