The Gila River Indian Community is a 372,000-acre reservation for Pima and Maricopa tribes, established in 1859 and governed by a tribal council. The tribes have a history dating back to prehistoric times and have a strong artistic culture. The community has faced challenges with water diversions and obesity, but has a diverse economy including agriculture, industrial parks, and tourism. Festivals celebrating tribal arts and history are held throughout the year.
The Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) just south of Phoenix, Arizona is a 372,000-acre American Indian reservation for members of the Pima and Maricopa tribes. The reservation was established in 1859 by an act of the United States Congress and was officially incorporated in 1939. It is governed by a tribal council which includes a governor, lieutenant governor, secretary, treasurer, and representatives from each of the seven districts of the reserve. Sacaton, Arizona is the capital of the reservation.
The GRIC people have a history in the region that dates back to the prehistoric Hohokam Indians, who farmed the Gila River Basin as early as 300 BC. They built canals to supply water from the Gila River to crops planted in the desert, and thrived on a bounty of cotton, tobacco, and assorted fruits and vegetables. These Native Americans developed a strong artistic culture evidenced by both jewelry and pottery made from the region’s famous red clay.
The Pima tribe that arose from the Hohokam were a peaceful tribe whose members welcomed visitors to their land, feeding and caring for weary travelers as they passed westward towards the California Gold Rush. The Pima also extended a permanent welcome mat in the mid-1800s to members of the Yuman Maricopa tribe who had been driven off their land by other Yuman tribes. The two tribes, Pima and Maricopa, continue to coexist in the Gila River Indian Community.
The community has thrived again after a period in the late 1800s and early 1900s when upstream dams and water diversions led to the tribes’ vital water source drying up and crops withering. The famine took a toll on the tribes population and the federal government stepped in to provide food assistance. The drastic shift in diet from fresh to processed and canned foods took its toll, and obesity and diabetes became tribal problems that persist today.
The Gila River Indian community has a diverse economy designed to incorporate the heritage of the tribes while ensuring their future. Agriculture has made a comeback; industrial parks have sprung up; and tourism-backed endeavors like resorts and casinos are thriving. The Gila Indian Center on Interstate 10 includes a museum, restaurant and shop selling tribal arts and crafts. Various historically themed festivals dot the reservation’s calendar, including the St. John’s Indian Mission Festival in March and an annual tribal fair in February. A festival of both the Pima and Maricopa arts is celebrated in November.
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