A disproportionate amount of illegal drugs enter the United States through the Tohono O'odham Reservation, since 75 miles of our reservation boundary run along the U.S.-Mexico border. No one knows about the impact of drug traffickers on tribes or what we are doing about it.

Worse, unlike other governments, tribes do not receive any direct federal funding to assist in the war on drugs; instead, we have to use our own resources.

On much of the reservation's border with Mexico, the only barrier is a decrepit barbed-wire fence. This fence serves as the first line of defense in the war on drugs, but it doesn't do much to keep traffickers out. The second line of defense is the Tohono O'odham Nation.

Every month, tons of drugs cross the border from Mexico and enter the Tohono O'odham Reservation. The drugs come on foot in groups of up to 30 backpackers, on horseback, in cars, in trucks - it is nothing less than a flood.

In June alone, the Tohono O'odham Police Department prevented 2.1 tons of marijuana from reaching America's streets. This total, a one-month record, was made possible through an outstanding and exhaustive effort by a relatively small force of 74 officers that make up the police department.

The magnitude of the job cannot be overstated. Along with patrolling 75 miles of border, these 74 officers are also responsible for protecting the 2.7 million acres of land that make up the Nation's lands.

Of course, the Tohono O'odham Police Department does not fight the war alone. The department is part of the Southwest Border High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, established by Congress. The Tohono O'odham has joined forces with the U.S. Customs Service, Joint Task Force 6, the FBI, the Pima County Sheriff's Office, and the Tucson Police Department.

Unfortunately, these activities have not solved the problem and, much like all of southwestern Arizona, the torrent of drugs coming through the Nation's lands is mammoth. Consider that the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector seized 103 tons of marijuana in 1999, and that another 74 tons were seized by Customs in Arizona.

According to Customs, almost a third of the drugs flowing into Arizona were seized on Nation lands. Because of federal drug reporting and disposal laws, however, no one knows of the drug seizures made by tribal police forces.

Here's the secret. Whatever is seized by the Tohono O'odham Police Department is given to Customs, but not reported as a tribal seizure. So, in 1999, of Customs' total, 7.5 tons of marijuana and 9,122 grams of cocaine were actually seized by the Tohono O'odham. And the numbers have increased dramatically. Just in June, the Tohono O'odham seized one-quarter of what was taken in the whole of last year!

Until the Nation receives direct federal funding, the traffic in illegal drugs crossing the international border will continue to flourish. The vast majority of dollars used by the Nation to fight this war come from gaming revenues. These dollars are very precious as we continue to be faced with enormous needs.

Instead of funding critical areas such as housing, health and education we are consumed with the war on drugs. Hopefully, one day the Tohono O'odham police will get the recognition they deserve and receive direct federal support for their efforts.

Edward D. Manuel is chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation, which covers 2.7 million acres in southern Arizona and borders Mexico. The Nation has 23,500 members.