Visiting Arizona Indian Lands

Most of Arizona’s Native American tribes welcome visitors to their communities. In order to fully enjoy your visit, please observe the following courtesies:

Fort Apache Reservation

Located in eastern Arizona, south of Show Low

White Mountain Apache Tribe

Office of Tourism

(877) 338-9628 / www.wmat.nsn.us

This is the home of the White Mountain Apache Tribe.

Historic Fort Apache

(928) 338-1392

Historic Fort Apache was a major United States Army Post during the Apache Wars. Many original buildings still exist.

Fort Apache Museum and Cultural Center

(928) 338-4625

Here you can see Apache games, crafts and even a wickiup, as well as the history of the scouts and soldiers who manned the fort.

Kinishba

(928) 338-4625

Come see the partially restored remains of Kinishba, a village of the classic Pueblo III period that housed up to 2,000 pre-Apache people near the end of the 13th century.

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation

Located in central Arizona, east of Scottsdale

Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation

(480) 837-5121 / www.ftmcdowell.org

The Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation provides visitors with a variety of recreation and entertainment options, including Fort McDowell Adventures, which offers horseback riding and Jeep tours; We-Ko-Pa Golf Club; and the Fort McDowell Casino. Lodging is available at the newly opened Radisson Fort McDowell Resort & Casino and the Asah Gweh Oou-o (Eagle View) RV Park. Special events presented by the tribe include Native Trails (January–March), a series of noontime festivals on Scottsdale Civic Center Mall celebrating Native American culture, music and dance, and the Orme Dam Victory Days (November), featuring pow wows, rodeos, concerts, arts and crafts, and much more.

Gila River Reservation

Located in central Arizona, south of Phoenix

Gila River Tribal Council

(520) 836-8178 / www.gric.nsn.us

The homeland of the Pimas and Maricopas features the Gila River Arts and Crafts Center, Gila Heritage Village and Museum, Mul-Cha-Tha (“The Gathering of the People”) rodeo and the St. John’s Mission Fair. These people are noted for beautiful Pima basketry and Maricopa pottery.

Havasupai Reservation

Located in northern Arizona in the Grand Canyon

Havasupai Tribal Council

(928) 448-2731 / www.havasupaitribe.com

The “People of the Blue-Green Waters” inhabit the bottom of Havasupai Canyon, a direct

tributary of the Grand Canyon. An eight-mile trail ride or hike is necessary to reach Supai. Limited camping is available. The beadwork and basketry produced by these

people are especially noteworthy.

Hopi Indian Community

Located in northeastern Arizona in the area surrounding Second Mesa (Hopi Cultural Center)

Hopi Tribal Council

(928) 734-3000 / www.hopi.nsn.us

The Hopi Cultural Center on Second Mesa contains a wealth of information, and ceremonials are held several times during the year. This tribe specializes in basketry, Kachinas, plaques, silver crafts and pottery making.

Hualapai Reservation

Located in northwestern Arizona, south of the Grand Canyon

Hualapai Tribal Council

(928) 769-2216 / www.itcaonline.com/tribes_hualapai.html

The tribe offers one- and two-day river rafting trips through the Grand Canyon. This reservation also has the only road that goes to the Colorado River.

Navajo Nation

Located in Arizona’s northeastern corner - east from U.S. 89 (north of Flagstaff) to the

New Mexico border, and north from I-40 (approximately) to the Utah border

Navajo Nation Tourism Department

(928) 871-6436 / www.discovernavajo.com

The famous Four Corners, the only place in the United States where four states – Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado – come together at one point, is located here. Activities and attractions such as ceremonials, a three-day rodeo and fair, arts and crafts shops, camping, hunting, fishing and hiking, draw visitors from around the world. The tribe also is noted for blanket and tapestry weaving, basketry and silver and turquoise jewelry.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument

Visitor’s Center

(928) 674-5500

Canyon de Chelly offers a dramatic pace-changer with sheer 1,000-foot-high canyon walls, prehistoric cliff dwellings, modern Navajo homes and giant skyscraper-like formations such as Spider Rock, all seen by four-wheel-drive vehicles on a trip along the bottom of the Canyon. Visitors are not allowed in the Canyon without an authorized guide. For those who do not have time to explore the Canyon’s interior, much of the Canyon scenery is visible by driving the rim.

The Hatathli Museum

Diné College

(928) 724-6654

The museum claims to be the “First True Indian Museum.” Managed by Native Americans, the collections take up two floors of the hogan-shaped Hatathli Center and interpret the culture of the Navajo and other tribes.

Monument Valley Tribal Park

Navajo Nation Tourism Office

(928) 871-6436

A land of spectacular beauty often referred to as the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” Monument Valley is highlighted by striking rock formations and towering stone sentinels. Featured in many television commercials and Western movies, Monument Valley spans the Arizona/Utah border and is famous for fantastic landmarks of eroded buttes, plateaus and monuments. A 17-mile, self-guided scenic drive begins at the visitor’s center. Guided tours are available by Jeep and horseback.

Navajo National Monument

Visitor’s Center

(928) 672-2700

This monument preserves three spectacular prehistoric Native American cliff dwellings,

last occupied about 700 years ago. There are three sites, but only two are open to the

public: Betatakin, Keet Seel and Inscription House (closed).

Window Rock

Navajo Nation Tourism Office

(520) 871-6436

Window Rock is the capital of the Navajo Nation. Some of its well-known attractions are the Navajo Arts and Crafts Guild and the Navajo Tribal Museum.

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community

Located in central Arizona along Scottsdale’s eastern border

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Tribal Council

(480) 850-8000 / www.saltriver.pima-maricopa.nsn.us

The Salt River is a popular place for camping, picnicking and “tubing” – floating downriver in an inflated inner tube. The tribe’s basketry and pottery are well-known.

Hoo Hoogam Ki Museum

(House of Those Who Vanished)

Museum Visitor’s Center

(480) 874-8190

The museum was established in November 1987 and showcases Pima basketry, Maricopa pottery, other Pima-Maricopa handicrafts and artifacts; video recording of legends; tribal veterans display.

Tonto National Monument

Located in central Arizona east of Scottsdale (south of Roosevelt Lake)

Tonto National Monument Visitor Center

(928) 467-2241 / www.nps.gov/tont

The Tonto National Monument was designated in 1907 as a national monument for the protection of 14th-century Salado cliff dwellings, two of which are open to the public. The one-mile cliff dwelling walk may be enjoyed unescorted; the three-mile tour stipulates that rangers must act as guides.

Tuzigoot National Monument

Located in northern Arizona, north of Jerome

Tuzigoot National Monument Visitor Center

(928) 634-5564 / www.nps.gov/tuzi

Tuzigoot is a prehistoric Indian ruin whose name in Apache means “crooked water.” This Pueblo of 110 rooms was built by the Sinagua Indians during the 13th century. There is a trail walk and museum on site.

Tuzigoot National Monument

Located in northern Arizona, east of Flagstaff

Walnut Canyon Visitor Center

(928) 526-3367 / www.nps.gov/waca

Come see cliff dwellings of the ancient Sinagua Indians. Here you will find over-hanging ledges of limestone, dating back to the 12th century, that have protected the dwellings from both the elements and invaders.

Wupatki National Monument

Located in northern Arizona, northeast of Flagstaff

Wupatki National Monument Visitor Center

(928) 679-2365 / www.nps.gov/wupa

Waupatki is a prehistoric three-story Native American ruin that once was home to several hundred farmers. Wupatki National Monument has a museum and trails through the dwellings.