Gila River Indian Reservation was a reservation established in 1859 by the United States government in
New Mexico Territory
The Territory of New Mexico was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from September 9, 1850, until January 6, 1912. It was created from the U.S. provisional government of New Mexico, as a result of ''Santa Fe de Nuevo México ...
, to set aside the lands of the
Akimel O’odham (Pima) and the
Piipaash (Maricopa) people along the
Gila River
The Gila River (; O'odham ima Keli Akimel or simply Akimel, Quechan: Haa Siʼil, Maricopa language: Xiil) is a tributary of the Colorado River flowing through New Mexico and Arizona in the United States. The river drains an arid watershed of n ...
, in what is now
Pinal County, Arizona
Pinal County is in the central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. According to the 2020 census, the population of the county was 425,264, making it Arizona's third-most populous county. The county seat is Florence. The county was founded in 187 ...
. The self-government of the reservation as the
Gila River Indian Community
The Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) (O'odham language: Keli Akimel Oʼotham, ''meaning "Gila River People"'', Maricopa language: Pee-Posh) is an Indian reservation in the U.S. state of Arizona, lying adjacent to the south side of the city of ...
was established by Congress in 1939.
History
The
Pima Villages and some of their lands were included in the Gila River Indian Reservation in 1859. An Indian Agency was established at
Casa Blanca with
Silas St. John
Silas or Silvanus (; Koine Greek, Greek: Σίλας/Σιλουανός; fl. 1st century AD) was a leading member of the Early Christian community, who according to the New Testament accompanied Paul the Apostle on his second missionary journey. ...
, (station agent of the
Butterfield Overland Mail
Butterfield Overland Mail (officially the Overland Mail Company)Waterman L. Ormsby, edited by Lyle H. Wright and Josephine M. Bynum, "The Butterfield Overland Mail", The Huntington Library, San Marino, California, 1991. was a stagecoach service i ...
at
Casa Blanca Station), appointed on February 18, 1859, as Special Agent for the Pima and Maricopa Indians. Agent St. John also conducted a census of the villages later that year.
[Wilson, ''People of the Middle Gila'', p.153]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gila River Indian Reservation
Gila River
Geography of Maricopa County, Arizona
Geography of Pinal County, Arizona
Native American history of Arizona
History of Arizona
Gila River Indian Community
1859 establishments in New Mexico Territory