Indigenous Peoples of Arizona

United States Arizona

To get started in American Indian Research

Arizona has 21 federally recognized tribes. The state is home to over 294,000 Native Americans.

To learn how to get started with American Indian research, find research facilities, and American Indian websites click here.

Current Federally Recognized Tribes
A federally recognized tribe is an American Indian or Alaska Native tribal entity that is recognized as having a government-to-government relationship with the United States, with the responsibilities, powers, limitations, and obligations attached to that designation, and is eligible for funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The following is a list of the currently federally recognized tribes in the State of Arizona:. The list links go to the pages for the tribe as opposed to reservation links shown below.

Ak-Chin Indian Community, Arizona (Tribe) Yavapai-Apache Nation, Arizona (Tribe) Navajo Nation, Arizona (Tribe) Cocopah Indian Reservation, Arizona (Tribe) Colorado River Indian Tribes, Arizona (Tribe) White Mountain Apache Tribe, Arizona (Tribe) Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Arizona (Tribe) Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, Arizona (Tribe) Gila River Indian Community, Arizona (Tribe) Havasupai Indian Reservation, Arizona (Tribe) Hopi Tribe, Arizona (Tribe) Hualapai Tribe, Arizona (Tribe) Kaibab-Pauite Tribe, Arizona (Tribe) Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Arizona (Tribe) Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Arizona (Tribe) San Carlos Apache Reservation, Arizona (Tribe) Tonto Apache Tribe, Arizona (Tribe) Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe, Arizona (Tribe) Fort Yuma-Quechan Tribe, Arizona (Tribe) San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Arizona (Tribe)

Some Historical Tribes and Bands of Arizona
The following list of American Indians who have lived in Arizona has been compiled from older sources, such as Hodge's Handbook of American Indians... and from Swanton's The Indian Tribes of North America. Some may simply be variant spellings for the same tribe. As you can see from the following list, some of the historical names of the tribes have changed and some are no longer in common usage:


 * Apache
 * Cocopah
 * Halchidhoma
 * Halyikwamai
 * Havasupai
 * Hopi
 * Hualipai (Walapai)
 * Kohuana
 * Maricopa
 * Mohave
 * Navajo
 * Pueblo
 * Paiute
 * Papago
 * Pima
 * Quahatika
 * Sobaipuri
 * Yuma
 * Zuni

The additional list contains those groups defined as "bands" in the older sources:


 * Mohave-Apache
 * Pascua-Yaqui
 * Tonto-Apache
 * Yavapai-Apache
 * Yavapai-Prescott

About Reservations
There is a clear distinction between the Indian Tribes and the Indian Reservation System. A federal Indian reservation is an area of land reserved for a tribe or tribes under treaty or other agreement with the United States, executive order, or federal statute or administrative action as permanent tribal homelands, and where the federal government holds title to the land in trust on behalf of the tribe.

From the mid-1800s, the official policy of the United States government toward the American Indian was to confine each tribe to a specific parcel of land called a reservation. Agencies were established on or near each reservation. A government representative, usually called an agent (or superintendent) was assigned to each agency. Their duties included maintaining the peace, making payments to the Native Americans based on the stipulations of the treaties with each tribe, and providing a means of communication between the native population and the federal government.

Sometimes, a single agency had jurisdiction over more than one reservation. And sometimes, if the tribal population and land area required it, an agency may have included sub-agencies.

The boundaries of reservations, over time, have changed. Usually, that means the reservations have been reduced in size. Sometimes, especially during the later policy of "termination," the official status of reservations was ended altogether. Compiling a list of reservations is difficult because several reservations extend into more than one state.

Current list of reservations:
Ak-Chin Indian Community, Arizona (Reservation) Yavapai-Apache Nation, Arizona (Reservation) Navajo Nation, Arizona (Reservation) Cocopah Indian Reservation, Arizona (Reservation) Colorado River Indian Tribes, Arizona (Reservation) White Mountain Apache Tribe, Arizona (Reservation) Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Arizona (Reservation) Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, Arizona (Reservation) Gila River Indian Community, Arizona (Reservation) Havasupai Indian Reservation, Arizona (Reservation) Hopi Tribe, Arizona (Reservation) Hualapai Tribal Nation, Arizona (Reservation) Kaibab-Paiute Tribe, Arizona (Reservation) Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Arizona (Reservation) Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Arizona (Reservation) San Carlos Apache Reservation, Arizona (Reservation) Tohono O'odham Nation, Arizona (Reservation) Tonto Apache Tribe, Arizona (Reservation) Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe, Arizona (Reservation) Fort Yuma-Quechan Tribe, Arizona (Reservation) San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, Arizona (Reservation)

Agencies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Agencies and subagencies were created as administrative offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its predecessors. Their purpose was (and is) to manage Indian affairs with the tribes, to enforce policies, and to assist in maintaining the peace. The names and location of these agencies may have changed, but their purpose remained basically the same. Many of the records of genealogical value were created by these offices.

The following list of agencies that have operated or now exist in Arizona has been compiled from Hill's Office of Indian Affairs..., Hill's Guide to Records in the National Archives Relating to American Indians , and others.

A brief history of each agency and an explanation of the availability of at least some records for each are listed on the page for the agency.


 * Camp Apache Agency
 * Camp Grant Agency,
 * Camp McDowell Agency
 * Camp Verde Agency
 * Cannon Agency,
 * Chinle Agency,
 * Chiricahua Agency
 * Colorado River Agency, Rt. 1, Box 9-C, Parker, AZ 85344
 * Eastern Navajo Agency
 * Fort Apache Agency, P.O. Box 560, Whiteriver, AZ 85941
 * Fort Defiance Agency
 * Fort Mojave Agency
 * Fort Yuma Agency, P.O. Box 1591, Yuma, AZ 85364
 * Gila River (Pima) Agency, P.O. Box 8, Sacaton, AZ 85247
 * Havasupai Agency
 * Hopi Agency
 * Kaibab Agency
 * Moqui Pueblo Agency,
 * Navajo Agency
 * Navajo Service
 * Northern Navajo Agency
 * Papago Agency, P.O. Box 578, Sells, AZ 85634
 * Phoenix Agency
 * Pima Agency, P.O. Box 8, Sacaton, AZ 85247
 * Rio Verde Agency
 * Salt River Agency, Rt. 1, P.O.Box117, Scottsdale, AZ
 * San Carlos Agency, P.O. Box 209, San Carlos, AZ 85550
 * San Xavier Agency
 * Sells Agency
 * Shiprock Agency (see under New Mexico)
 * Southern Navajo Agency
 * Truxton Canon Agency, Valentine, AZ 86437
 * Tuba City Agency
 * Tucson Agency
 * Western Navajo Agency
 * Window Rock Area Office
 * Yuma Agency (see under Fort Yuma, above)

Indian Schools
The Office of Indian Affairs (now the Bureau of Indian Affairs) established a network of schools throughout the United States, beginning with Carlisle Indian School, established in 1879. Some of these schools were day schools, usually focusing on Indian children of a single tribe or reservation. Some were boarding schools which served Indian children from a number of tribes and reservations.

In addition, other groups such as various church denominations established schools specifically focusing on American Indian children. (read more...)

The following list of Indian Schools in Washington has been compiled from Hill's Office of Indian Affairs..., Hill's Guide to Records in the National Archives Relating to American Indians , and others.

Many school records are included in the agency records.


 * Camp McDowell School (1913 changed to Salt River)
 * Camp Verde School
 * Chinle Boarding School
 * Cottonwood Day School
 * Fort Yuma Boarding School
 * Havasupai School
 * Holbrook School
 * Hopi Agency, School records 1937 census, 1950-51 enrollment.(Family History Library .)
 * Kaibab School
 * Navajo Extension
 * Phoenix School
 * Pima Agency, School records, 1903-1938. (Family History Library .)
 * Pinon Boarding School
 * Rice Station School
 * San Xavier School
 * Theodore Roosevelt School
 * Western Navajo School

Indian Health Agencies

 * Kayenta Sanatorium
 * Phoenix Sanatorium
 * San Xavier Sanatorium
 * Winslow Sanatorium

Other Repositories

 * Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
 * Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs, 1645 W. Jefferson, Suite 201, Phoenix, AZ 85007
 * Intertribal Council of Arizona, 124 W. Thomas Road Suite 201, Phoenix, AZ 85013

Maps

 * Map of Indian Lands: Region 9 -- Reservations, Rancherias, Colonies... EPA map, Feb. 2000

Family History Library
Histories of Arizona Indians are listed in the Family History Library Catalog under ARIZONA - MINORITIES, as well as under ARIZONA - NATIVE RACES. Other records of American Indians are listed in the Subject Search of the Family History Library Catalog under the names of the tribes. For a complete list of available records utilize the Family History Library Catalog....search by Tribe and locality


 * Records of the Arizona Superintendency (M 0734). (on eight Family History Library films starting with .)

Online links:
Arizona Indian Reservations and Tribal addresses Northern Arizona University, Center for American Indian Economic Development The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA)

Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Family History Library has microfilm copies of Bureau of Indian Affairs records, such as pre-1940 census, school, and vital records, for a few agencies, including the Fort Apache, Pima, and Yuma. The original documents are at the National Archives— Pacific Region (Laguna Niguel)


 * National Archives— Pacific Region (Laguna Niguel)