The Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe (

Yavapai language Yavapai is an Upland Yuman language, spoken by Yavapai people in central and western Arizona. There are four dialects: Kwevkepaya, Wipukpaya, Tolkepaya, and Yavepe. Linguistic studies of the Kwevkepaya (Southern), Tolkepaya (Western), Wipukepa ( ...

: Wiikvteepaya), formerly known as the Yavapai-Prescott Tribe of the Yavapai Reservation, 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 ...

Yavapai people The Yavapai are a Native American tribe in Arizona. Historically, the Yavapai – literally “people of the sun” (from ''Enyaava'' “sun” + ''Paay'' “people”) – were divided into four geographical bands who identified as separate, i ...

. Fewer than 200 people are enrolled in the tribe.

Reservation

The Yavapai

reservation __NOTOC__ Reservation may refer to: Places Types of places: * Indian reservation, in the United States * Military base, often called reservations * Nature reserve Government and law * Reservation (law), a caveat to a treaty * Reservation in India, ...

is approximately in central

Yavapai County Yavapai County is near the center of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, its population was 236,209, making it the fourth-most populous county in Arizona. The county seat is Prescott. Yavapai County comprises the Prescott, AZ M ...

in west-central

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 ...

. In the early 1930s, Sam Jimulla and his wife Viola Jimulla, with community support, pushed the government to provide reservation lands for the tribe, as they had been unable to secure federal funds for a housing project. In 1935, 75 acres of the former

Fort Whipple, Arizona Fort Whipple is a former United States (U.S.) Army post originally established at Del Rio Springs, north of present day Chino Valley, Arizona, and later relocated to a site in present day Prescott, Arizona. History The initial post was establish ...

were set aside as a reservation. Continued pressure from the tribe resulted in an additional 1320 acres being conferred on the tribe in 1956.

Government

Simultaneously with the creation of a reservation, the government pressed for the Prescott Yavapai to accept the terms of the

Indian Reorganization Act The Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) of June 18, 1934, or the Wheeler–Howard Act, was U.S. federal legislation that dealt with the status of American Indians in the United States. It was the centerpiece of what has been often called the "Indian ...

, but the tribe rejected the move away from a hereditary chief and confirmed the commissioner of Indian Affairs choice of Jimulla as their tribal leader. When Jimulla died in 1940, he was succeeded by his wife, though a tribal council was established. Don Mitchell, husband of Jimulla's daughter Grace, served as Chair of the tribal council from 1940 to 1948 and then tribal president from 1948 to 1972, though Viola served as Chieftess until her death. Grace Mitchell succeeded her parents as chieftess in 1967 and in 1972, Jimulla's granddaughter Patricia Ann McGee became tribal president. Upon Mitchell's death in 1976, the tribe conferred the title of chieftess upon Jimulla's other surviving daughter, Lucy Miller, and reconfirmed the dual governance system by retaining McGee as tribal president. Following Miller's 1984 death the tribal leadership was solely vested in the council and the tribal president. McGee retained the post until 1988, when she was ousted for two years by Stanhope "Stan" Rice, Jr. She regained leadership in 1990 and served until her death. Rice regained the presidency in 1994 and held the position until his ouster in 2001. He was succeeded by Ernest Jones, Sr. The tribe is headquartered in

Prescott, Arizona Prescott ( ) is a city in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 Census, the city's population was 45,827. The city is the county seat of Yavapai County. In 1864, Prescott was designated as the capital of the Arizona ...

."Tribal Directory."
''

National Congress of American Indians The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is an American Indian and Alaska Native rights organization. It was founded in 1944 to represent the tribes and resist federal government pressure for termination of tribal rights and assimilati ...

.'' Accessed 6 March 2014.

Economic development

The tribe has a shopping center, two casinos, and a hotel where the reservation abuts State Highway 69 at

. A business park is on the reservation off State Highway 89 north of Prescott. The 2000 census reported a resident population of 182 persons on the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Reservation, 117 of whom were of solely Native American heritage.

Services

Law enforcement services are provided by the Yavapai-Prescott Tribal Police Department.

Charlie Ben Wilson

Notable tribal members

* Viola Jimulla (1878–1966), chief of the Prescott Yavapai from 1940 to 1966.

Education

The reservation is served by the

Prescott Unified School District The Prescott Unified School District (PUSD) is a school district serving Prescott, Arizona. It operates four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. The superintendent is Joe Howard. Service area In addition to almost all o ...

Citations

References

Yavapai-Prescott Reservation, Arizona
United States Census Bureau

External links

Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe
official website {{authority control Native American tribes in Arizona Prescott, Arizona Federally recognized tribes in the United States Geography of Yavapai County, Arizona American Indian reservations in Arizona Yavapai