HAVASUPAI INDIANS

THE HAVASUPAI LIVE AT THE SOUTH EDGE OF THE GRAND CANYON, AND HAVE BEEN IN CATARACT CANYON FOR OVER 800 YEARS. THEIR NAME MEANS PEOPLE OF THE GREEN BLUE WATERS. IN 1882 THE GOVERNMENT FORCED THEM TO LEAVE MUCH OF THEIR ORIGINAL LAND EXCEPT FOR 578 ACRES. THEY WITNESSED A SILVER MINING PERIOD AND THE RAILWAY THAT WAS BUILT DESTROYED SOME OF THEIR LAND. IN 1975 THEY FOUGHT FOR RESTORING LAND THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM THEM AND REGAINED 250,000 ACRES OF THEIR ANCESTRAL LANDS! THEIR LANDS ARE A TOURIST HUB THAT ATTRACTS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EACH YEAR.


I HAVE BACKPACKED THERE AND SWAM IN THEIR TURQUOISE WATERS. THERE ARE FOUR MAJOR FALLS THAT ARE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL IN THE SOUTHWEST U.S.

THEY HAD SOME INTERACTIONS WITH THE HOPI TO THE EAST. THEIR RESERVATION WAS IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THEM AND THEY TRADED A LOT.

HOPIS INTRODUCED THEM TO SUNFLOWERS ND GOURDS THAT THE HAVASUPI LIKED. THEY DID HAVE ENEMIES WHO STOLE THEIR CROPS - THESE PEOPLE WERE YAVAPI AND SOUTHERN PAIUTE.

THE ANGLO SETTLERS HUNTED THE GAME IN THEIR LANDS AND DEPLETED THEM. INTERACTION WITH THE ANGLOS LEAD TO DISEASES THAT THEY WERE NOT FAMILIAR ITH - SMALLPOX, INFLUENZA, AND MEASLES. BY 1906 ONLY 106 MEMBERS REMAINED. IN 1817 THE RAILROAD SPUR OF THE SANTE FE RAILROAD WENT DIRECTLY TO THE GRAND CANYON. BY 1908 THE GRAND CANYON BECAME A NATURAL MONUMENT. PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT HIKED DOWN THE CANYON AND ORDERED THE HAVASUPAI TO LEAVE THE AREA. BY 1950 THE SETTLERS COMING WEST AFFECTED THE HAVASUPAI.

IN 1968 THEY WON THEIR INDIAN CLAIM COMMUNITY CASE THAT SAID THE GOVERNMENT ILLEGALLY TOOK THEIR LAND. IN THE 70'S THEY CONTINUED TO FIGHT FOR THE 251,00 ACRES. FINALLY IN 75 PRESIDENT FORD SIGNED THE BILL SAYING THEY WERE GRANTED TITLE TO 160,000 ACRES, WHILE THE NPS OVERSAW 90,000 ACRES. HOWEVER, THE HAVASUPAI WERE FREE TO USE IT.

SINCE 1976 THE TRIBE HAS BEGUN TO FLOURISH AND THERE ARE ABOUT 650 MEMBERS. THEY HELP OUT IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY. PRIOR TO THE TURN OF THE CENTURY AGRICULTURE WAS WHAT THEY USED TO SURVIVE ALONG WITH HUNTING. IN THE WINTER THEY STAYED UP ON THE PLATEAU AND IN SUMMER THEY IRRIGATED THEIR CROPS IN THE CANYON WHERE THEY HAD SHELTERS. THEIR MAIN CROPS WERE CORN BEANS AND SQUASH, SUNFLOWERS, GOURDS, AND COTTON.

THEY WERE INTRODUCED TO MELONS, AND ORCHARDS AND TREES BY THE SPANISH. BY THE 40'S THEY WERE STAPLES. HUNTING WAS OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE - THEY HUNTED SHEEP AND DEER, RABBITS, AND SQUIRRELS.TRADITIONALLY THEY HUNTED IN LARGE GROUPS DURING THE 1900'S LARGE GAMES ANIMALS DROPPED DUE TO OVER HUNTING. GATHERING WILD PLANTS WAS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT. THEY SEEDS FROM PLANTS. THE WOMEN COLLECTED PLANTS AND SEEDS THAT COULD BE MOVED TO THE PLATEAU DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. WALNUTS, AND BARREL CACTI WERE A FEW OF THE PLENTIFUL PLANTS GATHERED BY THE WOMEN.

THEY SPEAK UPLAND YUMAN LANGUAGE. IT IS THE ONLY NATIVE AMERICAN LANGUAGE SPOKEN BY 100% OF THEIR POPULATION. SUPAI IS THE TOWN LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF HAVASUPAI FALLS. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST REMOTE CITIES IN THE U.S. THEY HAVE 136 HOMES, A CAFE, A GENERAL STORE, AND A TOURISM OFFICE, A SCHOOL AND SEVERAL CHURCHES.

TOURISM IS THE MAIN SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR HAVASUPI. THEY GET 12,000 VISITORS PER YEAR. THE TRIBE CHARGES FOR ENTERING THEIR LAND. THE HELICOPTER CONTRACTOR BRINGS BRINGS DOWN MUCH OF THE SUPPLIES FOR THE TOWN. THEY NOW HAVE A SMALL LODGE WITH A FEW ROOMS. I HAVE HIKED UP AND DOWN THEIR 10 MILE GRAVEL STEEP TRAIL IN THE SUMMER WHICH DESCENDS 3000 FEET. THERE IS A CAMPGROUND DOWN THERE WHERE MY HUSBAND AND I AND SOME FRIENDS CAMPED AND COOKED OUR MEALS.

THERE IS HAVASU CREEK THAT MEANDERS 50 MILES UNTIL IT ENTERS THEIR CANYON AND FEEDS THREE WATER FALLS THERE. THE WATER IN THE POOLS STAYS AROUND 70 DEGREES ROUND. THE FALLS ARE WELL KNOWN FOR THEIR BLUE GREEN COLOR AND TRAVERTINE FORMATION. ANYTHING THAT FALLS INTO RIVER THE RIVER CHANGES THE COLOR OF IT YEAR TO YEAR. THE CREEK EVENTUALLY FLOWS INTO COLORADO RIVER. THIS IS A DRY LIMESTONE FALLS FORMATION (NAVAJO FALLS) THAT WAS NAMED AFTER A SUPAI CHIEF. HAVASU FALLS DROPS 120 FEET DOWN AND HAS BEEN A VERY POPULAR FALLS. MOONEY FALLS IS THE THIRD FALLS. IT HAS A VERY PRECARIOUS CLIMB THROUGH TWO TUNNELS THAT I REMEMBER.

BEAVER FALLS IS A 4TH SET OF FALLS WHICH ARE A SMALL SERIES OF FALLS. IN 2008 THEY HAD A FLOOD WHICH BROKE THE DAM ON HAVASU CREEK. THE VILLAGE HAD TO BE EVACUATED. BECAUSE OF THE FLOOD ANOTHER CREEK FORMED A NEW FALLS.

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