Indigenous peoples of Arizona facts for kids
The Indigenous peoples of Arizona are the Native American groups who live in the state of Arizona. Some of these groups have lived in this region for thousands of years, since "time immemorial." Other tribes, like the Southern Athabascan peoples, arrived centuries ago. The Pascua Yaqui people also settled in Arizona, with many moving there in the early 1900s, though smaller communities had been there for hundreds of years before.
Arizona has the third largest Native American population of any U.S. state. A big part of Arizona, almost a quarter of its land, is made up of reservation land. The Navajo Nation has the largest reservation in the entire United States. The Tohono O'odham Nation in southeast Arizona has the second-largest reservation.
There are 17 federally recognized tribes that are completely within Arizona's borders. "Federally recognized" means these tribes have a special government-to-government relationship with the United States. There are also 5 more tribes whose lands stretch across Arizona and other states. Out of these, 20 tribes are part of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA), which helps them work together.
Native American Tribes in Arizona Today
Many different Native American tribes call Arizona home today. Here are some of the tribes recognized by the U.S. government that are located fully within Arizona:
- Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona
- Cocopah Tribe of Arizona
- Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Arizona
- Gila River Indian Community of the Gila River Indian Reservation, Arizona
- Havasupai Tribe of the Havasupai Reservation, Arizona
- Hopi Tribe of Arizona
- Hualapai Indian Tribe of the Hualapai Indian Reservation, Arizona
- Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians of the Kaibab Indian Reservation, Arizona
- Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona
- Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community of the Salt River Reservation, Arizona
- San Carlos Apache Tribe of the San Carlos Reservation, Arizona
- San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona
- Tohono O'odham Nation of Arizona
- Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona
- White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation, Arizona
- Yavapai-Apache Nation of the Camp Verde Indian Reservation, Arizona
- Yavapai-Prescott Tribe of the Yavapai Reservation, Arizona
Some tribes have lands that cross the borders of Arizona into other states:
- Colorado River Indian Tribes of the Colorado River Indian Reservation, Arizona and California (These include the Chemehuevi, Mojave, Hopi, and Navajo people)
- Fort Mojave Indian Tribe of Arizona, California & Nevada
- Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah
- Quechan Tribe of the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation, California & Arizona
- Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation, New Mexico
Historical Native American Groups in Arizona
Many different Indigenous groups have lived in Arizona throughout history. Some tribes whose main communities are in California still have strong historical ties to Arizona. These include the Chemehuevi, Cocopah, Quechan, and Mojave. Many of these groups speak languages from the Yuman language family.
Other Yuman-speaking peoples connected to Arizona are the Havasupai, Walapai, Yavapai, Mojave, Halchidhoma, Quechan, Maricopa, and Cocopah.
Groups who speak the Colorado River Numic language and are connected to Arizona include the Southern Paiute, Southern Ute, and Chemehuevi.
The Navajo (Diné) and Apache are Southern Athabascan-speaking people. They moved into the American Southwest from the north, possibly around the year 1300 CE. Apache groups connected to Arizona include the Dilzhe'e Apache, Chiricahua, San Carlos Apache (also known as Nné, Coyotero, or Western Apache), and White Mountain Apache.
Groups who speak the Oʼodham language include the Akimel O'odham (who were once called Pima), Tohono O'odham, and Hia C-eḍ Oʼodham.
Pueblo peoples who live in Arizona include the Hopi, Tewa, and Zuni.
The Yaqui people speak a language from the Uto-Aztecan language family.
Ancient Cultures of Arizona
Before Europeans arrived, several distinct cultures thrived in what is now Arizona. These ancient groups left behind amazing ruins and artifacts that tell us about their lives.
- Ancestral Pueblo peoples: These groups lived in the Four Corners area, where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah meet. They are famous for their cliff dwellings and large villages.
- Hohokam: The Hohokam people lived in central and southern Arizona, reaching as far north as the area around modern-day Phoenix (known as the Valley of the Sun) and south into Mexico. They were skilled farmers who built complex irrigation canals to water their crops.
- Mogollon: This culture was found in southeast Arizona, New Mexico, parts of Sonora and Chihuahua in Mexico, and west Texas. They are known for their pottery and pit-house villages.
- Patayan: The Patayan people lived in far western Arizona and parts of California, along the Colorado River.
- Sinagua: The Sinagua culture was located around the area of present-day Flagstaff. They built impressive pueblos and cliff dwellings, like Montezuma Castle.
