| The
Havasupai Indian Reservation
This photo was taken from the air shortly before landing. After flying for almost a half an hour over the dry and desolate (but beautiful) terrain of the Grand Canyon, we suddenly found ourselves over what truly appeared as an oasis nestled between high canyon walls. No more than a hundred structures stood within the area visible from where we landed. Shown here, are typical home sites. There were far more trees and greenery than can be seen in this photo and they canyon walls twisted, turned and rose to various heights and spread in various widths within our vision. There was no sign of the river which led to the falls we had come to visit. But the sight of any green amidst the continuous tans, golds, browns and reds of the dusty Canyon were a hint of it's wondrous existence. The tribe's official name is "Havsuw 'Baaja," which means the people of the blue green waters. They are the traditional Guardians of Grand Canyon from Yuman linguistic and cultural stock. Their people have always inhabited the Grand Canyon and its environs. By 1919 with the establishment of the Grand Canyon National Park, the Tribe was restricted to 518 acres, 5 miles wide and 12 miles long in a side canyon. They now possess 188,077 acres of their former homelands. There are 639 enrolled members of the Tribe living in the village of Supai at the bottom of the canyon located in Coconino County, Arizona at the southwest corner of the National Park. There are four waterfalls adorned with travertine columns, shelves, and skirts: Navajo Falls, Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls and Beaver Falls. The reservation has over 12,000 visitors each year. |