Colorado River Indian Tribes
Encyclopedia
The Colorado River Indian Tribes is a geo-political unit consisting of the four distinct tribes associated with the Colorado River Indian Reservation
: the Mohave
, Chemehuevi
, Hopi
and Navajo
. The combined tribe is governed by a council of nine members and overseen by a tribal Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer who come from amongst the council members. The four tribes continue to maintain and observe their traditional ways and religious and culturally unique identities.
Their reservations cover 1,119.4445 km² (432.22 sq mi) of land in Riverside
and San Bernardino
counties in California
, and La Paz County
, Arizona
. Today there are only about 3,500 active members of the tribes. They are located in communities in and around Parker
and Poston
. The 2000 census
reported a population of 9,201 persons residing on the reservation. The main economy for the tribes is derived from the agricultural industry, growing cotton, alfalfa and sorghum. Recently, they've added tourism to the economy with the opening of the BlueWater Resort and Casino. The largest community is the town of Parker.
Colorado River Indian Reservation
The Colorado River Indian Reservation is 189 miles west of Phoenix, Arizona, on highway 95. It lies in western La Paz County, Arizona, southeastern San Bernardino County, California, and northeastern Riverside County, California. It has a total land area of 432.22 sq mi , and most of it lies...
: the Mohave
Mohave
Mohave or Mojave are a Native American people indigenous to the Colorado River in the Mojave Desert. The Fort Mojave Indian Reservation includes parts of California, Arizona, and Nevada...
, Chemehuevi
Chemehuevi
The Chemehuevi are a federally recognized Native American tribe enrolled in the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe of the Chemehuevi Reservation. They are the southernmost branch of Paiutes.-Reservation:...
, Hopi
Hopi
The Hopi are a federally recognized tribe of indigenous Native American people, who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi area according to the 2000 census has a population of 6,946 people. Their Hopi language is one of the 30 of the Uto-Aztecan language...
and Navajo
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
. The combined tribe is governed by a council of nine members and overseen by a tribal Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer who come from amongst the council members. The four tribes continue to maintain and observe their traditional ways and religious and culturally unique identities.
Their reservations cover 1,119.4445 km² (432.22 sq mi) of land in Riverside
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
and San Bernardino
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
counties in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and La Paz County
La Paz County, Arizona
La Paz County is a county in the western part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census its population was 20,489. The county seat is Parker...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. Today there are only about 3,500 active members of the tribes. They are located in communities in and around Parker
Parker, Arizona
Parker is a town in and the county seat of La Paz County, Arizona, United States, on the Colorado River in Parker Valley. The population was 3,140 at the 2000 census.-History:...
and Poston
Poston, Arizona
Poston is a census-designated place in La Paz County, Arizona, United States, in Parker Valley. The population was 389 at the 2000 census....
. The 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
reported a population of 9,201 persons residing on the reservation. The main economy for the tribes is derived from the agricultural industry, growing cotton, alfalfa and sorghum. Recently, they've added tourism to the economy with the opening of the BlueWater Resort and Casino. The largest community is the town of Parker.
Communities
- Big River, CaliforniaBig River, CaliforniaBig River is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 1,327 at the 2010 census, up from 1,266 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Bluewater, ArizonaBluewater, ArizonaBluewater is a census-designated place in La Paz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 730 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bluewater is located at ....
- Bluewater, CaliforniaBluewater, CaliforniaBluewater is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 172 at the 2010 census, down from 265 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bluewater is located at ....
- Parker, ArizonaParker, ArizonaParker is a town in and the county seat of La Paz County, Arizona, United States, on the Colorado River in Parker Valley. The population was 3,140 at the 2000 census.-History:...
- Poston, ArizonaPoston, ArizonaPoston is a census-designated place in La Paz County, Arizona, United States, in Parker Valley. The population was 389 at the 2000 census....