Indigenous peoples of Arizona facts for kids
The Indigenous peoples of Arizona are the Native American people of the state of Arizona. These include people that have lived in the region since time immemorial; tribes who entered the region centuries ago, such as the Southern Athabascan peoples; and the Pascua Yaqui who settled Arizona in mass in the early 20th century, though small communities had been in the region for hundreds of years prior.
Arizona has the third largest Native American population of any U.S. state.
Almost a quarter of Arizona is reservation land. The Navajo Nation has the largest reservation in the United States, and the Tohono O'odham Nation in southeast Arizona has the second-largest reservation.
There are 17 federally recognized tribes completely within the borders of Arizona, and 5 more in Arizona whose territory spans multiple states. Of these, 20 tribes are members of the Inter-Tribal Council of Arizona (ITCA).
Native American tribes in Arizona today
- Ak Chin Indian Community of the Maricopa (Ak Chin) Indian Reservation, Arizona
- Cocopah Tribe of Arizona
- Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Arizona
(formerly the Fort McDowell Mohave-Apache Community of the Fort McDowell Indian Reservation) - 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
(formerly Papago Indian Tribe) - 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
Multiple states:
- Colorado River Indian Tribes of the Colorado River Indian Reservation, Arizona and California (These include 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
Indigenous ethnic groups who lived in Arizona
Several of the Colorado River tribes are headquartered across the state line in California but have historical connections to Arizona. These include the Chemehuevi, Cocopah (Xawitt Kwñchawaay), Quechan (Yuma), and Mojave (Hamakhava). Many of these are Yuman-speaking peoples.
Yuman language-speaking peoples connected to Arizona include the Havasupai (Havasuw `Baaja), Walapai, Yavapai, Mojave, Hualapai (Hwal `Baaja), Halchidhoma (Xalychidom), Quechan, Maricopa (Piipaash), and Cocopah.
Colorado River Numic language–speakers connected to Arizona include the Southern Paiute, Southern Ute and Chemehuevi.
The Navajo (Diné) and Apache are Southern Athabascan-speaking people who migrated into the American Southwest from the north, possibly around 1300 CE. Apache bands connected to Arizona include the Dilzhe'e Apache, Chiricahua, San Carlos Apache (Nné, Coyotero, or Western Apache), White Mountain Apache
Oʼodham language–speakers include the Akimel O'odham (formerly Pima), Tohono O'odham, and Hia C-eḍ Oʼodham.
Pueblo peoples living in Arizona include the Hopi, Tewa, and Zuni (A:shiwi).
The Yaqui people speak a Uto-Aztecan language.
Precontact cultures of Arizona
- Ancestral Pueblo peoples, Four Corners area
- Hohokam (Ho:-ho:gam), as far north as the Valley of the Sun and as far south as Mexico.
- Mogollon, southeast Arizona, New Mexico, Sonora, Chihuahua, west Texas
- Patayan, far western Arizona, California
- Sinagua, area around present-day Flagstaff
