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The People You'll See on Vacation in Arizona
Arizona was the domain of Native Americans well into the 1800's, but at the end of the 19th Century this unique state has seen several waves of diverse settlers. First came miners and speculators, who probably didn't consider themselves settlers, but rather travelling entrepreneurs. Many of them would up staying, forming wild west communities that later became larger towns and in some cases today's modern small cities in Arizona. About 30 or 40 years later came military base camps where army soldiers trained to fight in World War II. Many of these soldiers came back to Arizona after the war, and settled down, transforming the miners' villages into larger towns with schools and larger local governments. Since that period, the most recent wave of immigration has been from Mexico, Arizona's close neighbor to the south.
You can still find traces of ancient Native American culture at Walnut Canyon, Wupatki Canyon, Canyon de Chelly, and Navajo National Monument. If you look closer into Arizona's smaller towns, you'll also find small settlements of Native Americans, descendants of the ancient civilizations that dotted the Arizona landscape for so many centuries. Half of Arizona's land is now inhabited by Native Americans.
The Havasupai People and their Reservation
Near the Grand Canyon there's a Native American reservation which the Havasupai people call home. Their name means "people of the green-blue water", which describes the river on which they live, the Havasu River. Their village is called Supai, and the whole reservation is bordered by Grand Canyon National Park. As you can imagine, it's stunning...sandstone cliffs surround the area, desert stretches out beyond the region, yet Supai enjoys lush green river-based flora and sparkling clear water crashing down waterfalls against a backdrop of the Grand Canyon. Visitors come here just for this, as a side trip from the Canyon, but only visitors who can handle the ten-mile hike or saddle ride are rewarded with the pleasure of a dip in the cascading falls. That's because they are not accessible by vehicle...one could say they are naturally "protected" from ultra tourism development. But for the lucky ones willing to endure hot tired feet or a bumpy ride down, are rewarded with a cooling splash when they arrive.
There's a campground near Supai, both of which are reached via a trail which starts at the Hualapai Hilltop, off I-40 E. and Rte. 66, then Rd. 18. Mule is your mode of transportation unless you want to shell out a couple hundred bucks to hire a helicoptor to carry you and your bags into the Supai area. Contact the Havasupai Tourist Enterprise at 448-2141. If you want to hike in, remember that it's eight miles of desert hiking to Supai, then another two miles to the campground, and you have to carry your bags and your food. Then you'll also have to hike out with your trash. This is basic rough camping here! If you've never hiked, or rarely hike challenging courses, consider the mule or the helicopter. Oh, and don't forget to make a reservation at the campground because if it's full when you get there, you'll have to leave! That means hike back out! So, call the Havasupai Tourist Enterprise for those campground reservations before you hike in. The Havasupai Campground is spectacular, though...set between two waterfalls called Mooney Falls and Havasu Falls, it is a canyon-bottom paradise. After travelling in desert-ey Arizona, and especially after hiking or muling down into the Canyon, you'll appreciate like never before, being able to swim in sparkling lagoons and hear the rush of the nearby waterfalls. You could also stay at the Havasupai Lodge, in Supai. It's not expensive.
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