The San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona Uto-Aztecan ( Southern Paiute Language: ) 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 Unite ...

Southern Paiute The Southern Paiute people are a tribe of Native Americans who have lived in the Colorado River basin of southern Nevada, northern Arizona, and southern Utah. Bands of Southern Paiute live in scattered locations throughout this territory and ha ...

Indians in

Coconino County, Arizona Coconino County is a county in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its population was 145,101 at the 2020 census. The county seat is Flagstaff. The county takes its name from ''Cohonino'', a name applied to the Havasupa ...

History

The San Juan Southern Paiutes lived east of the

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...

, in lands bounded by the San Juan River to the north,

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 watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...

to the west, and

Little Colorado River The Little Colorado River () is a tributary of the Colorado River in the U.S. state of Arizona, providing the principal drainage from the Painted Desert region. Together with its major tributary, the Puerco River, it drains an area of about i ...

to the south for centuries. Although they lived by the

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 United ...

and

Navajo people 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 San Juan Southern Paiutes maintained their own distinct language, traditions, and culture. Several of their communities are on what is now the

Navajo Reservation The Navajo Nation ( nv, Naabeehó Bináhásdzo), also known as Navajoland, is a Native American reservation in the United States. It occupies portions of northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah; at roughly , the ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

and

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

."San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe."
''Inter Tribal Council of Arizona.'' (retrieved 15 Dec 2009)

Today

The San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona is headquartered in

Tuba City, Arizona Tuba City ( nv, ) is an unincorporated town in Coconino County, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, United States. It is the second-largest community in Coconino County. The population of the census-designated place (CDP) was 8,611 at the 2010 cen ...

. Their primary communities are two clusters, the southern area including Willow Springs,

Hidden Springs Hidden Springs is a populated place situated in Coconino County, Arizona, United States, located on U.S. 89 approximately 75 miles north of Flagstaff. It has an estimated elevation of above sea level. The San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizo ...

Rough Rock Point Rough Rock ( nv, ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Apache County, Arizona, United States. The population was 414 at the 2010 census. Geography Rough Rock is located at (36.414660, -109.855648). According to the United States Census Bur ...

Tuba City Tuba City ( nv, ) is an unincorporated town in Coconino County, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, United States. It is the second-largest community in Coconino County. The population of the census-designated place (CDP) was 8,611 at the 2010 cen ...

and Cow Springs. The northern area includes

Paiute Canyon, Arizona Paiute (; also Piute) refers to three non-contiguous groups of indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. Although their languages are related within the Numic group of Uto-Aztecan languages, these three groups do not form a single set. The term "Paiu ...

and

Navajo Mountain , photo = NavajoMtn (cropped).jpg , photo_caption = Navajo Mountain and Lake Powell, looking southeast from the Kaiparowits Plateau , elevation_ft = 10348 , elevation_ref = , prominence_ft = 4226 , prominence_ref = , listing = , locati ...

in Utah. Some members reside in

White Mesa White Mesa is a census-designated place (CDP) in San Juan County, Utah, United States. The population was 277 at the 2000 census. It is located within a section of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe reservation along U.S. Route 191, south of Blanding ...

and

Blanding, Utah Blanding () is a city in San Juan County, Utah, United States. The population was 3,375 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city in San Juan County. It was settled in the late 19th century by Mormon settlers, predominantly from the ...

. Currently the tribe is in litigation to restore their land base. The tribe is governed by a seven-person tribal council,Pritzker, 233 called the ''Shuupara`api''. Tribal members are primarily earning their incomes through livestock and subsistence farming. Fine basket weaving is also a common occupation. Their annual powwow takes place on the second weekend of June and a San Juan Southern Paiute Family Reunion takes place every second week of August.

Controversy

Former tribal president and council member Evelyn James was found guilty of stealing of almost $300,000 of tribal funds and money laundering. She was sentenced to two years in federal prison."Ex-leader of San Juan Southern Paiute sentenced in theft case."
''News from Indian Country.'' Dec 2009 (retrieved 29 March 2010)

References

Sources

* Pritzker, Barry M. ''A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. . {{DEFAULTSORT:San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe Of Arizona Paiute Native American tribes in Arizona Federally recognized tribes in the United States