Humans
have been living at Grand Canyon for at least 4000 years.
Split twig figurines are the oldest evidence of their
presence. These animal figurines are a few inches in
height, made primarily from twigs of willow or cottonwood.
They are found in caves below the rim. Split twig figurines
were fashioned by the people of the Desert Culture.
The
ancestral Puebloan people of the southwestern United
States made their home in the four corners region,
where Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona share
a common point. Their record in this region is rich
and spans the time period from 200 B.C. to A.D. 1300.
The
ancestral Puebloan people are believed to be the ancestors
of the Hopi people, who inhabit a region east of Grand
Canyon. The Hopi name for these ancestors is Hisatsinom
(hee-SOT-sin-ahm). The Hopi people believe they emerged
from the canyon and that their spirits rest here.
The
Havasupai people inhabit the inner canyon in a region
west of Grand Canyon Village. In this remote and beautiful
corner of the canyon sits the village of Supai and
the descendants of a people who have lived within
the canyon for several hundred years. The village
remains accessible only by foot, pack animal or from
the river but is still heavily visited each year by
tourists.
The
Navajo people make up one of the largest tribes in
North America. The Navajo live throughout the region
and on the Navajo Reservation, which borders the park
to the east. Relative newcomers to this region, they
are the descendants of Athabascan peoples who migrated
into the southwest from the north in the 15th Century.
The
Hualapai Reservation borders the canyon to the south.
The Hualapai are descendants of the Cerbat people
and have been in the area since A.D. 1300.
The
Southern Paiute Indians occupy land north of the Colorado
River in what is known as the Arizona Strip. They
have traditionally used the canyon for hundreds of
years.
The
Zuni Indians view the canyon as their place of origin,
though today they live in New Mexico.
