Havasupai Indian tribe is a North American Indian tribe, of the Yuman language family and of the Southwestern culture area, living in northwestern Arizona in the Havasu Canyon, a side branch of the Grand Canyon. They are also referred to as the “Havasu ‘Baaja” and have lived in the canyon area just east of the Grand Canyon South Rim for over 1,000 years. Havasupai means “people of the blue-green waters” after the color of the water that flows from the Havasu Springs through Havasu Creek.

The Havasupai have been the traditional guardians of the Grand Canyon. Prior to the early 1800s before the Grand Canyon was declared as a National Park, the Tribe roamed a vast area on the upper plateau. During the fall and winter months, tribal members would move families up to the plateaus subsisting on hunting and gathering what the earth provided. They would then move back down into the canyon and planted crops during the spring and summer months.

In 1882, the US government confined the Tribe to a reservation of only 518 acres at the bottom of the canyon forcing the Havasupai to lose over 90% of its aboriginal land. This adversely affected the economic base of the Tribe forcing it to rely mostly on farming at the canyon’s bottom and led many Tribal members to seek wage labor jobs outside the canyon.

Living at the bottom of a canyon isolated by barriers of rock and almost entirely self-supporting, they have conserved their indigenous culture to a greater degree than any other Southwest tribe; their basket weaving, language, and customs have been the objects of considerable study. The plentiful waters of the Havasu Creek allowed them to farm; traditionally they grew corn, squash, melons, and beans from spring to fall in the canyon. In winter they hunted small game on the plateau.

Recorded members of the Tribe numbers about 650 making it one of the smallest Indian Tribes in the nation. About 450 members live at Supai Village at the base of Havasu Canyon and nearly all of the Supai residents work for the Tribe in the tourist industry. Supai Village has a general store, a lodge for tourists and a restaurant. It is also home to the Tribal Government, a church and an elementary school.

Children are schooled 11 months per year and upon completion of 8th grade studies, they are typically sent to government sponsored boarding high schools. Most of them return to Supai upon high school graduation.

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 is governed by a seven member Tribal Council which is elected by the Tribal members. The Bureau of Indian Affairs provides law enforcement to Supai Village. An Indian Health Service clinic and a resident physician provides out-patient and emergency services. Possession of alcohol, drugs and firearms on the reservation is illegal.

The Havasupai speak a form of Yuman, which was derived from Hokan languages. They draw their strength and spiritual direction from their land which they consider scared. The women of the tribe are still practice basket weaving, using cottonwood and willow coils. Basket and other their native crafts are sold on the reservation and surrounding areas.