Havasupai Tribe
Havasupai is pronounced "hah-vah-soo-pie." It means "people of the blue-green water."
The Havasupai are natives of northwestern Arizona,near the Grand Canyon.
The Havasupais live on a reservation in Arizona. An Indian reservation is land that belongs to a tribe and is under their control. Each reservation has its own government, laws, police, and services, just like a small country. However, the Havasupais are also US citizens and must obey American law.
In the past, each Havasupai band had its own chief or headman. Havasupai chiefs were looked to for leadership, but they didnot make decisions for the tribe. When there was a political decision to make, the chief would call a tribal meeting,and every member had to agree before the tribe could act (this is called consensus.) Sometimes this could take along time, but the Havasupai people really value harmony, so this was an important system for them.Today, the Havasupai tribe is led by a tribal council elected by the citizens, and the council membersstill work by consensus much of the time.
Almost all Havasupai people are bilingual. They speak both English and their native Havasupai language. Havasupai is a complex language with many long words. If you'd like to know a Havasupai word that's not too hard to say, "gam'yu" (sounds like gahm-yoo) is a friendly greeting in Havasupai.
Here is the homepage of the Havasupai Tribe.On their site you can find information about the Havasupai people in the past and today.
Sponsored Links
They do the same things all children do--play with each other, go to school and help around the house. Many Havasupai children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more chores and less time to play in their daily lives, just like colonial children. But they did have dolls, toys, and games to play.Havasupai children liked to swim and compete at footraces. After Europeans introduced horses to the Americas,Havasupai kids enjoyed horseback riding as well.A Havasupai mother traditionally carried a young child in a basket-wovencradleboard on her back. Here is a website with pictures of cradleboards and otherNative baby carriers.
Havasupai husbands and wives worked together to farm their fields. Havasupai women didmost of the cooking and child care, and men did most of the hunting.Both genders took part in storytelling, music and artwork, and traditional medicine.
Most Havasupai Indians lived in wickiups. Wickiups are small round or cone-shaped houses made of a willow framecovered with brush and dirt. These are very simple houses and Havasupai people really only used them to sleep in. When they wereresting, socializing, or working on crafts, Havasupai people sat outside-- it was rarely cold or rainy in the climate where they lived.Here are some wickiup house pictures.
Havasupai people do not live in these old-fashioned dwellings today, any more than other Americans live in log cabins. Havasupai families live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.
Most Havasupai people wore clothes made from buckskin. Since the Havasupai tribe often traded with Hopi clothmakers, some traditional Havasupai clothing was made of cloth instead. Havasupai men wore breechclouts, leggings, and long-sleeved shirts.Havasupai women usually wore long dresses. Some Havasupai people wore Indian moccasins,while others wore sandals made of yucca fiber. Here are some photos and linksabout Native American clothing styles in general.
The Havasupais did not wear Sioux war bonnets like the Plains Indians. Havasupai men usually wore cloth headbands tied around their foreheads instead. Men and women bothwore their hair long, and women also wore long bangs. The Havasupais wore traditional tattoos and also painted their faces and bodies for special occasions. They used different colors and patterns for war paint, religious ceremonies, and festive decoration. Native silver jewelry such as earrings, necklaces, and concho beltswere very popular among Havasupai people, and still are worn today.
Today, Havasupai people wear modern clothes like jeans instead of loincloths... and they only wear traditional regalia for special occasions like a dance.
No--the Havasupai Indians weren't coastal people, and rarely traveled by river. Most often they just walked.There were no horses in North America until colonists brought them over from Europe. Once Europeans brought horses to America, the Havasupais could travel more quickly than before.
The Havasupais planted crops of corn, beans, squash, and sunflowers.Havasupai men hunted deer, rabbits and small game , while women gathered nuts, fruits, and herbs. Favorite Havasupai recipes included baked beans, cornbread, and soups. Here is a website with more informationabout Native American traditional food.
Havasupai hunters used bows and arrows. The Havasupais did not go to war often, though Havasupai warriors did sometimes have to defend their territory against the Spanish and other tribes.When this happened, they normally fired their bows or fought with spears. Here is a website of Native American Indian weapons.
What other Native Americans did the Havasupai tribe interact with?
