Discusses the Social, Political, and Economic Life of the Havasupai People (Essay Sample)

Havasupai Tribe
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Havasupai Tribe
The Havasupai tribe is a native American Indian tribe whose people have occupied the Grand Canyon for more than 800years CITATION Ate96 \l 1033 (Atencio, 1996). Havasupai is a combination of two words, “Havasu” and “pai”. Havasu stands for “blue-green water” and pai stands for “people”. Havasupai means “the blue-green water people” CITATION GER08 \l 1033 (GERKE & HIRT, 2013). Currently, the Havasupai people occupy the Cataract Canyon. In the past, the Havasupai people claimed that an area of approximately 1.6million acres around the Grand Canyon belonged to them. However, in 1882, the US federal government gave them only 518acres of the total enormous land share they claimed CITATION Swa85 \l 1033 (Swanton Jr., 1985). The development of the Santa Fe Railroad and the silver rush led to the destruction of the fertile Havasupai lands around the Grand Canyon in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The Havasupai people were further frustrated when the Grand Canyon was declared a national park in 1919 CITATION Whi85 \l 1033 (Whiting, 1985). The National Park Service invaded their small 518acre land and expelled them from the land. The tribe persistently used the available justice systems in the US to fight for their ancestral land in the 20th century. The enactment of the Grand Canyon National Park Enlargement Act in 1975 made the tribe regain nearly 190,000 acres of their taken ancestral land CITATION BIG13 \l 1033 (BIGGS, 2013). This is the size of the Havasupai Indian Tribe reservation to date. Today, tourism is the tribe's main activity CITATION Whi85 \l 1033 (Whiting, 1985). This paper discusses the social, political, and economic life of the Havasupai people.
Ethnicity
The Hualapai and the Havasupai are one ethnic group. However, the US government policy is what makes these two groups appear distinct. The Havasupai people are a local group of the eastern people of the sub-tribe, Plateau People, of the Hualapai CITATION Hen28 \l 1033 (Henderson, 1928). The Havasupai people were traditionally hunters and gatherers. They also practiced agriculture. The initial estimate of their population was 350, according Francisco Garces, a Spanish priest who visited the Grand Canyon in 1776 CITATION Swa85 \l 1033 (Swanton Jr., 1985). The population of Havasupai people has fluctuated over the years due to natural catastrophes and westward expansion. Today the Havasupai population is made of 639 people CITATION BIG13 \l 1033 (BIGGS, 2013).
Relationship with the US Government
The migration of silver prospectors into the Grand Canyon in 1870 resulted in conflicts with the Havasupai people. the Havasupai people embarked on efforts to prohibit prospectors from accessing their lands, but all were in vain CITATION Hen28 \l 1033 (Henderson, 1928). In 1882, much of the land, which offered protection and survival to the Havasupai people during winter, was declared a public property by an executive order of President Arthur. The Havasupai people were relegated to a 518acre land in the Cataract Canyon by the order CITATION Swa85 \l 1033 (Swanton Jr., 1985). The rest of the Havasupai land was made available for use by the American public. For several years, the Havasupai people lived unaware of this executive order CITATION GER08 \l 1033 (GERKE & HIRT, 2013).
The Santa Fe Railroad permeated the Grand Canyon in the late 19th century and was opened by 1901. In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Grand Canyon and informed two Havasupai tribal leaders of his intention to make the Grand Canyon a national park CITATION Ate96 \l 1033 (Atencio, 1996). This meant the Havasupai people would have to live the area. the Grand Canyon became a national monument in 1908. 11years later, it became a national park. In 1928 the National Park Service forced the Havasupai people out of the Indian garden CITATION Hen28 \l 1033 (Henderson, 1928).
In 1968, the Indian Claim Commission case between the Havasupai people and the US government went in favor of the Havasupai people. the case proved that the US government had improperly taken the land of the Havasupai people in 1882. Furthermore, it recognized the US government had failed to return the land fairly to the Havasupai people CITATION BIG13 \l 1033 (BIGGS, 2013). In 1974, the Nixon administration supported the Havasupai efforts to regain their land. The San Francisco Chronicle, the LA times, and the Wall Street Journal through their weight behind the Havasupai people. The pressure on the US government yielded efforts with the enactment of the Grand Canyon National Park Enlargement Act in 1975, by President Ford CITATION Whi85 \l 1033 (Whiting, 1985). Approximately 190,000acres of land was returned to the Havasupai people. Additionally, 95,300 acres of land under the National Park Service in Grand Canyon was designated for use by the Havasupai people CITATION GER08 \l 1033 (GERKE & HIRT, 2013).
The Havasupai people are currently flourishing following the return of a large portion their ancestral land. They continue to practice a majority of their traditions. They have turned to tourism which enables them exploit the beauty of their land. Majority of the Havasupai people work in the hotel and tourism industry within the reservation.
Membership of the Tribe
The members of Havasupai tribe are all person who appear on the tribe's official census roll; and must be of Indian blood. Additionally, any child born to any member of the tribe must have ¾ of his/her blood Indian to be considered a member of the tribe CITATION Uni39 \l 1033 (United States Department of the Interior: Office of Indian Affairs, 1939). Future ordinances regarding membership can be passed by the Tribe Council which must be approved by the US interior secretary. Only persons who have resided within the Havasupai tribe reservation for more than five years can be considered for adoption as members of the tribe CITATION Uni39 \l 1033 (United States Department of the Interior: Office of Indian Affairs, 1939).
Governing Council
The Havasupai tribal council is the governing body of the Havasupai people. the council is made up of 3 hereditary chiefs and 4 regular council members. The chiefs are permanent council members. Only resignation or death eliminates them from the council CITATION Uni39 \l 1033 (United States Department of the Interior: Office of Indian Affairs, 1939). In case either of the cases occur, the sub chiefs elect new chiefs to replace the dead chiefs, or the chiefs who have resigned. The other 4 regular council members can be recalled when there is a failure in performance of their council duties. All members of the tribal council have equal powers regardless of who is the chief CITATION Uni39 \l 1033 (United States Department of the Interior: Office of Indian Affairs, 1939). The council members must be above the age of 35yrs. The council members upon election, should select; the chairman, the vice chairman, the treasurer, and the secretary of the council. The council membership, especially the elective positions are open to for occupancy by both male and female candidates. The chieftain post is purely male dominated CITATION Whi85 \l 1033 (Whiting, 1985).
Jurisdiction of the Council
The Havasupai Tribal Council has the sovereign jurisdiction on all matters rela...