Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Lands
Location:
The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Lands is located 15 miles northeast of Phoenix. Tempe forms the Indian Lands southwestern border, Mesa the southern border, Scottsdale the western and northern border and Fort McDowell Mohave-Apache Indian Lands finishes off the northern border. It is in Maricopa County. The land includes the conflux of the Verde River and Salt River. Currently, the tribe has 6,000 members. The members are a combination of two tribes, the Pima and Maricopa Indians. Both of these Indian tribes live on the Indian Lands.
History:
The Pima Indians are descendants of the Hohokam Indians, who developed irrigation and farming in the Salt River Valley hundreds of years ago. The Maricopa Indians originally lived along the lower Gila River and Colorado River and then moved up to this region.
The Indian Land was established in June 1879 by Executive Order signed by President Rutherford Hayes and includes 55,801 acres. The order gave both the Pima and Maricopa Indians the land that they had occupied for years.
The tribe has worked hard to meet the demands of today. About 19,000 acres of Indian Land has been set aside for a natural preserve. The secondary land use is for agriculture, which includes the growing of cotton, potatoes and melons. The commercial land use is restricted to the Pima corridor, which is a stretch bounded by Pima Road and Scottsdale. This commercial area consists of the Pavilions, which is a large retail center. The land also hosts a waste disposal operation and a sand and gravel plant.
Indian Arts:
The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indians are known for their basketry and pottery.
Attractions:
The Salt River Recreation Area is one of the biggest draws to the Indian Lands. The river is ideal for those wanting to cool off. Tubers float down the Salt River enjoying the views of the mountains.
The Hoo-Hoogam Ki Museum was constructed using adobe and plants, along with the building techniques from several tribes. The museum has displays and exhibits showing basketry, pottery and artifacts.
Native American Indian Rodeo Days February
Annual Red Mountain Eagle Pow Wow May

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