Havasupai
From NativeWiki
The Havasu ’Baaja (meaning the-people-of-the-blue-green-waters), or more commonly the Havasupai, are a Native American tribe located in the northwestern part of the American state of Arizona. The tribe is well-known for being the only permanent inhabitants in the Grand Canyon, where they have lived for over 800 years. It also holds the distinction of being one of only two places left in America that still uses the Pony Express, Phantom Ranch being the other.Template:Fact But the main "claim-to-fame" for the Tribe is its richly colored waters and its awe-inspiring waterfalls, both of which have made this small community become a bustling tourist hub that attracts thousands of people every year.
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The Tribe
The Havasupai Indians have lived on their land for over 800 years. They are considered nomads, as they used to spend the summer and spring months in the canyon farming, while spending the winter and fall months on the plateau hunting. In 1882, the U.S. government formed the Havasupai Indian Reservation which consisted of 518 acres of land inside the canyon. For 93 years they were confined to staying inside the canyon, which led to an increased reliance on farming and outside revenue (tourism). In 1975, the U.S. Government reallocated 185,000 acres of land back to the Havasupai. As of today the tribe consists of 639 members, and around 200 others who claim Havasupai heritage.
The Tribe is governed by a seven member Tribal Council democratically elected by the people. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is the entity charged with law enforcement and protection for the Tribe, while the Indian Health Service clinic provides health care and emergency services. The Tribe is the largest employer of tribe members, which runs Federal programs for the tribe members. Other members often work as packers and/or workers for tourist ventures, or work at the lodge, tourist offices, the café, etc.
Language
Template:Main Havasupai is a dialect of the Upland Yuman, which is spoken by less than 600 people on the Havasupai Indian Reservation, located in and around the Grand Canyon. It is the only Native American language in the United States of America spoken by 100% of its indigenous population. The Havasupai dialect is nearly identical to the dialect of the Hualapai, although the two groups are socially and politically distinct (Kendall 1983:5). It is a little more distantly related to the Yavapai dialects. Grammatical descriptions, vocabularies, and texts documenting Havasupai have been published (Mithun 1999:578).
Supai
Template:Main Supai is the name of the Havasupai city located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The town is the capital of the Havasupai Indian Reservation. It is home to around 500 of the tribe members and is the most remote city in America,Template:Fact as it can only be accessed by taking the Old Route 66 and traveling about 60 miles (96km) along BIA Road 18 to the trailhead. Then there is an 8 miles (13km) hike to the city limits. The town has 136 houses, a café, a general store, a tourist office, a post office, a school, and a small Christian Church among other buildings.
Havasupai Trail
The trailhead is located at Hualapai Hilltop (which is located at the end of BIA Road 18), where there is a large parking lot, a heli-pad, bathrooms, and the main office for the Havasupai. The trail can be traveled by foot, by horseback, or on a mule service the Havasupai offer. The mule service can also be purchased for luggage/packs only, which allows an easier hike and the ability to bring down more luxuries. The trail starts out at the hilltop, where it switch-backs down the side of the canyon for about ¾ of a mile. This is by far the most difficult part of the trail, and is much more difficult on the way back up. The trail is approximately 8 miles long to Supai, with an extra 2 miles added on in order to reach the campgrounds, and descends some 3000 vertical feet (914 meters).
The switch-backs stop when the plateau is reached, a point that is marked by a small rest area made from rocks and cement. The trail then leads down off the plateau into a dry streambed. Caution should always be taken when entering a dry stream bed in any desert, as it is a prime place for flash floods. The trail follows the streambed down. There are multiple trails leading down this small canyon wash, but they all lead to the same place and never stray more then 30 feet away from each other. The trail meanders down this streambed for approximately 5 miles until the canyon starts to open up into another canyon. This spot is marked by a drastic increase in vegetation. Follow the trail down the new canyon to the left.
The trail will take you next to the stream where you will encounter a bridge. The trail crosses the bridge, thus entering into the city of Supai. Stay on the trail and respect the fences as the land behind them is private property. The trail enters into the city main, where it first encounters a small convenience shop that sells drinks, ice cream, candy, food, and other snacks. Straight ahead lies a rodeo corral where there are usually bulls penned-up. The trail leads to the town square where all the public buildings are located. The trail then goes through the city along the canyon wall to the right. The trail makes an obvious right-hand turn and enters into more vegetation. After leaving the vegetation the trail follows the canyon to the left.
After completely circling the small canyon (this is where Navajo Falls is located, see below) the trail starts to head down towards the creek, ultimately crossing it twice, over two small separate bridges. After crossing the bridges, the trail leads to the top of Havasu Falls. It then moves toward the canyon wall on the left, ultimately hugging it. On the right side of the trail is the cliff that is next to Havasu Falls, where there is a good spot for photographs of the falls. There is a hand rail on the right side to help prevent falls. The trail heads down and enters into the campgrounds. The campgrounds are about ½ of a mile long and offer many campsites, ranging from group to single size. There is a small spring located in the middle of the campgrounds which offers fresh water (The Tribe recommends treating the water (i.e. boiling, filtering, etc.)). The campground has many composting toilets and picnic tables. The Tribe asks to please pack out all trash and does not permit campfires. The trail then goes through the campgrounds and ends at Mooney Falls.
Tourism
Tourism is the main source of revenue for the Havasupai tribe. The town receives on average 12,000 visitors per year, and they actually have to restrict the amount of reservations to cut down on overcrowding. The Tribe charges for entering its land, and also visitors are required to purchase a reservation if they plan on camping. The Tribe also offers a mule service to carry either passengers or luggage, or both, down to the campgrounds. There is also an outside contractor that offers helicopter rides which start at Hualapai Hilltop and end at the café. The Tribe receives a royalty for this service, and as part of the agreement the Members get to ride for free whenever they want and the contractor brings down all the supplies for the town. The Tribe also offers a small lodge where visitors can purchase rooms. Furthermore, the Tribe sells fast food from its diner, products from the general store, and other items such as t-shirts or pins.
References
- AZ Commerce
- Grand Canyon Hotels and Tours
- Grand Canyon NP Home Page
- Great Advetures
- Havasupai Home Page
- Kendall, Martha B. 1983. "Yuman languages". In Southwest, edited by Alfonso Ortiz, pp. 4-12. Handbook of North American Indians, William C. Sturtevant, general editor, Vol. 10. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
- Mithun, Marianne. 1999. The Languages of Native North America. Cambridge University Press.
Further reading
- "A dictionary of the Havasupai language". Hinton, Leanne. Supai, Arizona 1984.
- "Gwe gnaavja". Havasu Baaja / Havasupai Tribe, Bilingual Education Program. Supai, Arizona 1985.
- "Havsuw gwaawj tñudg siitja". Havasupai Bilingual Education Program. Supai, Arizona 1970s(?).
- "Baahj muhm hatm hwag gyu". Hinton, Leanne et al., prepared by the Havasupai Bilingual Education Program. Supai, Arizona 1978.
- "Tim: Tñuda Hobaja". Hinton, Leanne et al., prepared by the Havasupai Bilingual Education Program (authors credited as "Viya Tñudv Leanne Hinton-j, Rena Crook-m, Edith Putesoy-m hmug-g yoovjgwi. Clark Jack-j"). Supai, Arizona 1978-1984.
