The San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe of Arizona Uto-Aztecan (
Southern Paiute Language
Colorado River Numic (also called Ute , Southern Paiute , Ute–Southern Paiute, or Ute-Chemehuevi ), of the Numic branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family, is a dialect chain that stretches from southeastern California to Colorado. Individual ...
: ) 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 ...
of
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.
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 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 in ...
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 Unite ...
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 in
Arizona and
Utah.
["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. Their primary communities are two clusters, the southern area including
Willow Springs,
Hidden Springs,
Rough Rock Point,
Tuba City and
Cow Springs. The northern area includes
Paiute Canyon, Arizona and
Navajo Mountain in Utah. Some members reside in
White Mesa and
Blanding, Utah. 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
A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Powwows today allow Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their cultures. Powwows may be private or pu ...
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