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• Ancient, Cohonina arc sites are found all around the area, and the Havasu’ Baaja believe ourselves to be those ancient people. Tribes in the area also have similar names for us that sound very similar to cohonina, cohonino, koonina. • Havasu’ Baaja means people of the blue green water, we are people born from water, and down in Supai Village the waters are turquoise. The water is very rich with the travertine mineral deposits, so if an area should flood, initially it looks pretty devastated, but the travertine builds up quickly re-creating pools of water. It is also said that there is a-lot of copper oxide in the water that may also give the water its blue-greenish color • Our aboriginal territories span from Mohawk Canyon found on the Hualapai reservation, up to the Colorado River to Havasupai, through the canyon, South Rim and Indian Garden, with a trade route through Cameron up to Moenkopi, south to Flagstaff including the peaks, West through Williams, Ash Fork, and Seligman, it was a very large amount of land found inside Coconino County. Cohonino County. Coconino County. • Our creation stories put us here since time immemorial, and place many of the sacred landmarks where some of these stories took place. We call the San Fransisco Peaks Wii’i Haganbaja “snow covered mountain” as one of our sacred places. Red Butte which is located 15 miles south from the park boundary we call Wii’i Gdwiisa “earths lungs” and located in the village of Supai we have the protectors of the Canyon, Wii’i Gl’iiva, I do not have a direct translation but they are referred to as the protectors of Supai Village, the big and little warrior, or the King and Queen protectors of the canyon. • Reservation finally surveyed and made official in 1882, the topography of the land was too much for surveyors to feel comfortable in doing, otherwise the reservation would have been been created in 1880. • Grand Canyon Station open in September 1901. By 1905 Theodore Roosevelt had rode the train to the South Rim. When he rode into the Canyon he found Big Jim and Billy Burro living in what you call Indian Garden. This may have been when Roosevelt told the families that they should move out, that this land was going to be taken for the American people • Hak’Yo, its hard to translate that because Hygu people tend to think that meaning is exact, but in Havasupai its “where the tree’s are at” “gathering of trees by the wash of water”. I have also been told it more specifically refers to the grouping of Aspen tree’s at the place you call Indian Garden • Havasupai were used to maintain Bright angel trail, put in the pipeline down to Hak’ Yo, Indian Garden, put in the sewer line and for 20 years Havasupai men had preferential hiring because it is said they were up to 6 feet tall and weighed over 200 lbs. • Qatt vii heh n naa, coyote tail trail, kathiodev he’e, Coyote tail, this is the name for Bright Angel Trail • 1934, the parks documented version of burning down the homes in Supai camp was to get rid of the Indian homes and replace them with park owned homes that they could charge to the Indians. The cabins were re-built in 1935 • The Havasupai’s account of 1934, the homes were burned down, with all of their possessions because the park has been wanting them gone. They have been trying to absorb the 160 acres that have been occupied by the Supai people inside the park called Supai Camp. Supai lived on the plateau during the winter and the families were displaced, put into covered wagons and taken 14 miles west, to the edge of the rim to Topocoba Hilltop, which was the traditional 17 miles trail to Supai Village. • 1955 the park service said Supai’s could only live at the park if they had a job (Read the Track of the Cat from “Life in a Narrow Place” by Stephen Hirst and Terry Eiler, copywritten 1976, pg 219-222. The entirety of the book is mostly good, and Stephen Hirst has also wrote I am the Grand Canyon) • The park continued to encroach on the Havasupai, the park owned all of the land surrounding the 518 acre reservation, where 1 mile by 1 mile was actually livable. The park claimed to own all the land around the Havasupai Reservation, the modern trail used today was owned by the park service, and all the waterfalls were owned by the National Park. • In 1957 the park service struck a settlement with the Schoeny mining claim of lead that was located below Havasuw Falls, they purchased the failed claim for $15,000 acquiring a 62 acre parcel. In order to make the campgrounds where the tourists sleep today the National Park desecrated some of our burial grounds below Havasuw Falls, and this is no longer common knowledge even within our own community. • Tribal council and the Havasupai people had been attempting for years to adhere to the new rules and regulations of the agencies, the development of the national forests, the national park, the bureau of Indian affairs, tribal council had sent many letters trying to get some use rights back. 1962, 1964, 67 were the beginning’s of tribal council passing resolutions asking to have their lands back. The lands near and inside the park, and the lands that were just purchased through the Schoeny mining claim • The park was creating a new master plan, and was planning to ask for the entirety of the Havasupai reservation land and all lands within the park to become a-part of the park. Something that would have to be approved by congress • Between 1970 and 1975 the Havasupai gained few. But powerful allies to seriously lobby the federal government on why they needed nearly 200,000 acres to be returned to the tribe. They needed land to graze their animals, they needed land to hunt, land to live and farm. Many members of the tribe flew back and forth from Washington to tell the stories of the land and its significance • In the early 70’s a Superintendent who’s first name was Richard decided that it was in the best interest of the park to shut down all access to water, food and sewer for Supai Camp. Another ploy to try and kick out the Havasupai of the lands. We already knew what springs to get water from, and how to live off the land, so it was still impossible to get rid of the Supai • Pl-93-620 would become known as the largest land given back to a Native American tribe, the elders and tribal council were able to get 188,000 acres given back to the tribe, and about 62,000 acres of that land were traditional use rights within the National Park. Also known as the Grand Canyon Enlargement Act • In the early 70’s a Superintendent who’s first name was Richard decided that it was in the best interest of the park to shut down all access to water, food and sewer for Supai Camp. Another ploy to try and kick out the Havasupai of the lands. We already knew what springs to get water from, and how to live off the land, so it was still impossible to get rid of the Supai • Pl-93-620 would become known as the largest land given back to a Native American tribe, the elders and tribal council were able to get 188,000 acres given back to the tribe, and about 62,000 acres of that land were traditional use rights within the National Park. Also known as the Grand Canyon Enlargement Act • Within the last 20 years the relationship has progressed slowly into a positive relationship. It has not been easy for either side, but it has been the hardest for the Havasupai People, the railway and the creation of the National Park were some of the darkest days for the Havasupai • During my participation on tribal council for the last three years we have worked to discuss what Desert view could do for our people, as a place to be able to tell our history. Consulted that the park rangers are giving Supai’s citations for picking pinion nuts within park boundaries, discussing how rangers can help Supai Camp residents when the police are needed, how the park can begin to change some places in the park to indigenous place names faster than the National Board of U.S Geological Names. • The park has taken my criticism very well. It is not always the easiest thing to swallow, and I am not the only person who has been asking for the truth about our history to be recognized. Today is a right step into that direction. Although I was asked for names of plants and trails it is much more important to me that you know the true history about these lands. Every single place inside this park is ours, and the sentiment should be recognized although it is very clear that every part of this park is not owned by us, that we would have never done this to the land, it is up to you to speak up for our true history of this land, insert our voices into everything you do, because it’s the only thing you can do to help reconcile for our heart ache. Ophelia Watahomigie-Corliss P.o box 10 Supai, AZ 86435 [email protected] 928-769-6503.

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