Grand Canyon National Park has always had a rich Native American culture and today visitors can experience this culture by visiting one of the two remaining tribes on the Canyon’s south rim. Both tribes provide ample opportunities for visitors to experience the canyon through a wide-range of activities from taking a dip in cool emerald pools, or by standing 4,000-feet above the canyon’s floor. If you go, plan on spending at least a day exploring the reservation and the countless small shops selling authentic jewelry and artwork.
The Havasupai
The Havasupai, ‘people of the blue-green waters,’ have been living in and around the Grand Canyon for centuries. During fall and winter months the Havasupai would hunt for food along the plateau, while during the spring and summer months the Havasupai would head down into the canyon to farm and live in the cool air found near the Colorado River.
In 1882, the US Government created a reservation for the Havasupai of 518 acres at the bottom of the canyon. The Havasupai struggled greatly since nearly 90 percent of their original land was taken away. In 1975, Congress banded together and reallocated nearly 185,000 acres back to the tribe.
Today the Havasupai rely heavily on tourism to support their reservation and have roughly 650 living members. If you go, make sure to bring your camera and bathing suit since the reservation is home to four of the most spectacular spring-fed waterfalls in the Grand Canyon. The falls are only accessible by foot and plan on spending the night since a hike to the falls and back in one day is on the long side and usually doesn’t leave enough time to enjoy the deep emerald pools.
Hualapai People
The Hualapai, the “People of the Tall Pines,” have lived in and around the Grand Canyon for hundreds of years. Today the tribe has roughly 2,300 members and occupies a reservation of just less than one million acres. The reservation was established in 1883 and up until recent development, was heavily promoted as an untouched piece of land where tourists could come and experience the Grand Canyon without the development and crowds commonly found along the North and South Rim.
Today, however, the Hualapai people are working hard to develop their reservation into more of a tourist destination, including a luxury hotel, Indian village, and restaurant. In 2007, the Hualapai opened up the Skywalk, a large circular platform extending 70-feet out above the canyon. The Skywalk’s walkway is solid glass and visitors can walk out 4,000 feet above the canyons floor.
