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The Quechan tribe, also known as Yuma, originated along the Colorado River in California and Arizona. The US military took control of the Yuma region in 1852, and in 1884, the US government established the Fort Yuma Reservation for the tribe. The tribe farmed, fished, and hunted, and lived in small settlements led by chiefs. They fought to hold control of the Yuma crossing of the Colorado River and rebelled against the Spanish in 1781. Today, the Fort Yuma Quechan Reservation is a thriving community with 2,475 residents, leasing farmland and operating a sand and gravel operation, a grocery store, bingo hall, museum, and five RV parks.
The Quechan tribe, also known as Yuma, is a Native American Indian tribe, whose name is pronounced “kwuh-tsan” and means “those who descend”. The tribe originated along the Colorado River in eastern California and western Arizona. In 1852, the US military took control of the Yuma region and Indian power declined rapidly. In 1884, the US government had established the 44,000-acre Fort Yuma Reservation for the Quechan Tribe near Yuma, Arizona. The tribe continues to live there today.
The Quechan tribe originally lived in huts along the lower Colorado River where they farmed and fished. Agriculture accounted for only half of the tribe’s food due to the unpredictable river flooding. Their diet typically consisted of wheat, beans, corn, squash, and melon. They also hunted deer and rabbits and fished for salmon, bass and other fish. The Indians were nomads, sometimes traveling as far as the Pacific Ocean.
The members of the tribe normally lived in small settlements of about 100 people each which were divided into family groups of 25 at certain times of the year. These separate settlements were needed to cultivate the river plains. A chief typically led each settlement, although a civil chief and war chief governed the tribe as a whole.
The Quechan tribe fought with other American Indian tribes to hold control of the strategic Yuma crossing of the Colorado River. In the 1700s, after befriending the Quechans, the Spanish established a settlement near the river crossing hoping to take control of it, and they also converted the Indians to Christianity. The tribe rebelled against the Spanish in 1781 and destroyed the settlement, killing 55 of the inhabitants and capturing the rest. The Quechans maintained control of the crossing and operated a ferry there until the start of the California Gold Rush.
Today, Fort Yuma Quechan Reservation with its 2,475 residents continues to be a thriving community. The Quechan tribe leases not only its farmland but also a sand and gravel operation. The Indians also take advantage of the year-round warm weather and the millions of automobiles that pass through the reservation, traveling between Phoenix, Arizona, and San Diego, California, providing a grocery store, bingo hall, museum, and five RV parks. .
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