The Havasupai: People of the Blue Green Waters
The Grand Canyon, among its many points of interest, is also home to several Native American tribes: the Havasupai, Hualapai, Southern Paiute, Navajo and Hopi. Among these five tribes, the Havasupai are the most remotely located, inhabiting the village of Supai, situated on the canyon floor, a stone’s throw from Havasu Falls. Though the location separates them from many conveniences, the Havasupai still maintain their traditional role as guardians of the falls in their ancestral homeland.
The Havasupai have lived in the Grand Canyon area for over eight hundred years. They traditionally practiced hunting and gathering, as well as cultivating some agricultural crops, including corn. In 1776, the Europeans first encountered the Havasupai; however, until the 1870s the tribe remained relatively unaffected by European settlement. The discovery of silver in Cataract Creek in 1870 changed all this as prospectors and miners hoping to strike it rich flooded the area, crowding the Havasupai out of their traditional lands.
In 1882, and executive order by President Chester A. Arthur claimed the upper part of the Grand Canyon, where the tribe had customarily made their home during colder months, as public land. The loss of their traditional lands and the increasing immigration of settlers who brought disease had a devastating effect on the Havasupai, by the turn of the century the Havasupai population had been cut in half.
Until the mid-seventies, the Havasupai lived on the remaining five hundred and eighteen acres of their homeland, while pressing their rights. In 1968, the tribe achieved a remarkable victory, successfully arguing that their land had been improperly confiscated by the Federal government, receiving a monetary award in recompense. However, the tribe continued to fight for the return of their traditional lands. In 1974, the Havasupai’s battle gained national attention, and was featured in several national publications. In the wake of the increased attention, Senate Bill 1296 was signed, giving the Havasupai a trust title for 160,000 acres and permitting their use of the remaining 90,000.
In 2008, the Havasupai were hit by a flash flood. In the wake of this disaster, Havasu Falls was closed to visitors until 2009 while the Havasupai worked with the National Parks Service to repair and restore the area. Though the flood wrought many changes to the falls, the Havasupai embraced the transformation and part of the natural cycle.
Today, tourism is the main source of revenue for the tribe. Over 12,000 people visit Supai for year. Supplies and mail are still packed in by horse and mule and the Havasupai have the distinction of being the only tribe whose indigenous members all continue to speak their native language. To prevent congestion and preserve their home in its natural state, while still sharing its beauty with curious visitors, the Havasupai limit the number of reservations for campers and overnight guests.
For more information on Grand Canyon Hiking trips or hiking to Havasu Falls, contact Just Roughin It Adventure Company.
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