The Colorado River Indian Tribes (

Mojave language Mojave or Mohave most often refers to: *Mojave Desert *Mojave River *Mohave people *Mojave language Mojave or Mohave may also refer to: Places * Fort Mojave Indian Reservation * Mohave County, Arizona * Mohave Valley, a valley in Arizona * Mohav ...

'Aha Havasuu,

Navajo language Navajo or Navaho (; Navajo: or ) is a Southern Athabaskan language of the Na-Dené family, through which it is related to languages spoken across the western areas of North America. Navajo is spoken primarily in the Southwestern United States ...

: Tó Ntsʼósíkooh Bibąąhgi Bitsįʼ Yishtłizhii Bináhásdzo) is a

federally recognized tribe This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United ...

consisting of the four distinct ethnic groups associated with the Colorado River Indian Reservation: the Mohave, Chemehuevi,

Hopi The Hopi are a Native American ethnic group who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona, United States. As of the 2010 census, there are 19,338 Hopi in the country. The Hopi Tribe is a sovereign nation within the Unite ...

, and

Navajo The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States. With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...

. The tribe has about 4,277 enrolled members. A total population of 9,485 currently resides within the tribal reservation according to the 2012-2016 American Community Survey data.

History

The reservation was established on March 3, 1865, for "Indians of said river and its tributaries." Initially, these were the Mojave and Chemehuevi, but Hopi and Navajo people were relocated to the reservation in 1945. John Scott designed the tribal seal in 1966, with four feathers to represent the four CRIT tribes. Margie McCabe designed the tribal flag, which the tribe formally adopted in 1979.

Reservation

The Colorado River Indian Reservation is a

Native American reservation An Indian reservation is an area of land land tenure, held and governed by a federally recognized Tribe (Native American), Native American tribal nation whose government is accountable to the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs and not ...

in the southwest

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Its territory is primarily in western

La Paz County, Arizona La Paz County is the 15th county in the U.S. state of Arizona, located in the western part of the state. As of the 2020 census, its population was 16,557, making it the second-least populous county in Arizona. The county seat is Parker. Th ...

, with smaller portions in southeastern

San Bernardino San Bernardino (; Spanish language, Spanish for Bernardino of Siena, "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a ...

, and northeastern Riverside counties,

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. It has a total land area of , most of it within

Parker Valley The Parker Valley is located along the Lower Colorado River within the Lower Colorado River Valley region, in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California. Its natural habitats are within the Sonoran Desert (Arizona) and Colorado Desert (Ca ...

. It borders the

Palo Verde Valley The Palo Verde Valley (Spanish: ''Valle de Palo Verde'') is located in the Lower Colorado River Valley, next to the eastern border of Southern California with Arizona, United States. It is located on the Colorado Desert within the Sonoran Desert ...

in the southwest boundaries. Tribal headquarters are in Parker, Arizona. Tribal members mainly live in communities in and around

Parker Parker may refer to: Persons * Parker (given name) * Parker (surname) Places Place names in the United States *Parker, Arizona *Parker, Colorado * Parker, Florida * Parker, Idaho * Parker, Kansas * Parker, Missouri * Parker, North Carolina *Park ...

, the largest community, and Poston. The 2000 census reported a population of 9,201 persons residing on the reservation.

Government

The tribe and its reservation territory are governed by an elected council of nine members and overseen by a tribal Chairman, Secretary, and Treasurer. These officers are elected from among the council members. The four tribes continue to maintain and observe their traditional ways and religious and culturally unique identities. The current administration is: * Chairwoman: Amelia Flores * Vice-Chairman: Dwight Lomayesva * Tribal Secretary: Johnson "JD" Fisher * Tribal Treasurer: Anisa Patch * Council Member: Thomas "Tommy" Drennan * Council Member: Woodrow Sharp * Council Member: Josephine Tahbo * Council Member: Jaymee Moore * Council Member: Robert "Bobby" Page

Economic development

The economy for the tribe is based on light industry, government, recreation, and agricultural, specifically growing commodity crops of alfalfa, cotton, lettuce, and sorghum. The Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) has senior water rights to divert up to 719,248 acre feet of water from the Colorado River, which represents nearly one-third of the allocation for the state of Arizona. The tribe operates BlueWater Resort and Casino, located about from downtown Parker, as a tourist destination on the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid drainage basin, watershed that encompasses parts of ...

. It opened in June 1999. The casino is and has more than 500 slot machines. The resort features a 200-room hotel, a

bingo Bingo or B-I-N-G-O may refer to: Arts and entertainment Gaming * Bingo, a game using a printed card of numbers ** Bingo (British version), a game using a printed card of 15 numbers on three lines; most commonly played in the UK and Ireland ** Bi ...

hall, an indoor water park, movie theater, video arcade, marina, and concert facilities. The Colorado River Indian Tribe Museum and Gift Shop is in Parker, Arizona, and has displays of historical and contemporary artworks, especially ceramics, made by tribal members.

Communities

Bluewater, Arizona Bluewater is a census-designated place (CDP) on the Colorado River Indian Reservation in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 725 at the 2010 census. Geography Bluewater is located in northern La Paz County at (34.166976, ...

Bluewater, California Bluewater is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 172 at the 2010 census, down from 265 at the 2000 census. Geography Bluewater is located at (34.180214, -114.250531). According ...

Parker, Arizona Parker ( Mojave 'Amat Kuhwely, formerly 'Ahwe Nyava) is the county seat of La Paz County, Arizona, United States, on the Colorado River in Parker Valley. The population was 3,083 at the 2010 census. History Founded in 1908, the town was named a ...

(seat of government) *

Poston, Arizona Poston is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in La Paz County, Arizona, United States, in the Parker Valley. The population was 285 at the 2010 census, down from 389 in 2000. During World War II, Poston was the site o ...

Notable tribal members

Jacoby Ellsbury Jacoby McCabe Ellsbury ( ; born September 11, 1983) is an American former professional baseball center fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox from 2007 through 2013 and then played for the New York Yankees from 2 ...

(b. 1983), baseball center fielder with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees of Major League Baseball * Veronica Murdock (born 1944), tribal vice chair and first woman president of the National Congress of American Indians

Notes

References

Colorado River Reservation, Arizona/California
United States Census Bureau

External links

Colorado River Indian Tribes
official website

BlueWater Resort and Casino
{{authority control 1865 establishments in the United States American Indian reservations in Arizona American Indian reservations in California Chemehuevi Colorado River tribes Communities in the Lower Colorado River Valley Federally recognized tribes in the United States Geography of La Paz County, Arizona Geography of San Bernardino County, California Hopi Lower Colorado River Valley Mohave tribe Navajo Native American tribes in Arizona Native American tribes in California Native American tribes in Riverside County, California California populated places on the Colorado River Arizona populated places on the Colorado River