First people. Best art.
Celebrate the people of the canyon’s creativity.
Approximately 5 million people visit Grand Canyon National Park each year. Before this unique natural world became a national park, 11 different tribal nations called this beautiful living landscape home, and still do.
Native people are the very first to exist in harmony with the high desert and canyon environment, and their artistry endures into the present day through living tribal artists and artisans.
Traditionally associated tribes of Grand Canyon National Park include:
- Havasupai Tribe (Havasu’baaja)
- Hopi Tribe (Hopisinom)
- Hualapai Tribe (Hwal’bay)
- Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians (Nungwu)
- Las Vegas Paiute Tribe (Nungwu)
- Moapa Band of Paiutes (Nungwu)
- Dine’ (Navajo) Nation
- Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah (Nungwu)
- San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe (Nungwu)
- The Pueblo of Zuni (A:shiwi)
- Yavapai-Apache Nation (Yavap’e-Nnee)
Today, the park shares boundaries with three federally recognized tribes: the Dine’ (Navajo), Hualapai and Havasupai. The Desert View region represents the physical and cultural gateway from Grand Canyon National Park to the Dine’ (Navajo) and Hopi reservations.
Indigenous people have been an inextricable part of the land for centuries. Ancestral and Modern Pueblo Peoples developed complex irrigation systems in the harsh desert landscape. This enables them to grow crops such as beans, corn and squash, known as the revered “Three Sisters.” The Dine’ (Navajo) rely on horses for transportation. One of the oldest living cultures in documented history, the Hopi cultivate cotton to make cloth.
The 11 tribes of the Grand Canyon region are also well known for their artistry and craftmanship. Their creations — silver jewelry often embellished with turquoise and coral (generally representing the sky and earth), woven baskets, hand-made textiles featuring natural dyes, thrown pottery and more — are extremely popular. Native American art often contains symbols and signs of their culture, heritage and beliefs, honoring nature and their ancestors.
Traditional Native American artwork of the region includes the sand paintings and hand-woven rugs of the Dine’ (Navajo), the Kachina dolls and pottery of the Hopi and inlay jewelry of the Zuni Pueblo, among many others.
There is much to learn from the Indigenous people of the American Southwest. These groups have long been celebrated for their artistry and craftmanship. When you purchase an elegant bracelet or intricately woven basket from a Native American artist, you'll take home a piece of art rooted in ancient history and living cultural connections.
Strengthen the original spirit of the canyon country. Peruse authentic, native-made creations today.