Forced from Grand Canyon National Park, the Havasupai Tribe embraces spiritual homecoming

May 12, 2023

 

Tribal members are hopeful it means a new era of cooperation that will give them more access to sites in the canyon and to tell their story through their lens and language.

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved the name change for Havasupai Gardens, the tribe’s traditional farming area, in November after the tribe lobbied for years to reclaim a part of its heritage and force a historical reckoning over the treatment of Havasupai people.

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Events marking the rededication of Havasupai Gardens began last Thursday, when dozens of tribal members and others gathered for a public event at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Dancers from the Guardians of the Grand Canyon, a traditional and multigenerational group, performed, with men wearing ram horns representing the bighorn sheep that roam the canyon, and women carrying woven baskets. Bells on their feet jingled as they moved in a circle.

Source: Forced from Grand Canyon National Park, the Havasupai Tribe embraces spiritual homecoming