Havasupai (Arizona)

The Havasupai people are an American Indian tribe who have lived in the Grand Canyon for at least the past 800 years. Havasu means “blue-green water” and pai “people”. Located primarily in an area known as Cataract Canyon, this Yuman-speaking population once laid claim to an area the size of Delaware . The Havasupai people, or Havasuw `Baaja, the people of the blue green waters, are the traditional guardians of the Grand Canyon. Related to the Yuman, the Havasupai have from the beginning, inhabited the Grand Canyon and its environs. Supai is the Havasupai city. It is home to around 500 of the tribe members and is one of the most remote cities in the contiguous United States. An alternative to the hike is a helicopter ride or a horse ride. The town has 136 houses, a café, a general store, a tourist office, a lodge, a post office, a school, an LDS chapel, and a small Christian Church, among other buildings. Tourism is the main source of revenue for the Havasupai tribe. The town receives more than 20,000 visitors per year. The Tribe charges for entering its land, and visitors are required to reserve either a room at their lodge, or space at the campground. The trailhead is at Hualapai Hilltop, Arizona, where there is a large parking lot, a helipad and portable toilets. The trail can be traveled by foot or horseback. Alternatively, transportation by helicopter is periodically available.