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Dancers performed at the Hualapai Tribe's Skywalk last week, when tribal members became the first people to step onto — and celebrate — the grand structure.
Dean Knuth / arizona daily star

Accent

If you go

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 03.25.2007
Did you know. . . The Hualapai and Havasupai tribes inhabit the Grand Canyon today and are believed to be descendants of the Cerbat tribe.
Those ancestors moved to the Grand Canyon in about A.D. 1250 after the Puebloan Indians (who are now known as the Hopi, Zuni and other tribes) left the Canyon to inhabit other parts of the Southwest, according to Ellen Brennan, acting archaeologist at Grand Canyon National Park.
Part of a hunter-gatherer society, they lived off wild game, cactus fruit, roots, berries and food they raised in gardens. They made sophisticated pottery for carrying water, cooking and storing food.
The Hopi would come to the Canyon from the Black Mesa area, Brennan said, to trade.
The Hualapai: The word Hualapai means "people of the tall pine"(pai means "people"), said Loretta Jackson-Kelly, the historic preservation officer for the Hualapai Tribe.
According to their beliefs, they were created at what they call Spirit Mountain, a sacred spot, Jackson-Kelly said.
Traditional dress for the Hualapai is clothing from deer- and rabbit skin and dresses woven with juniper bark. The headdresses, which only a chieftan would wear, were made from eagle and white-tailed hawk feathers.
The reservation, covering about 992,000 acres of barren plains to forests in Northwestern Arizona, was created in 1883. Peach Springs, named after the peach trees that grew at nearby springs, is the capital.
There are about 2,000 people in the tribe.
The Havasupai: The Havasupai, also called Havasu 'Baaja and "people of the blue-green water," number 650, and about 450 live in the tribal center, Supai, a village in the Western Grand Canyon that is accessible only by foot, horseback or helicopter.
Havasupai is the official — and preferred — language. English is spoken, too.
Before the reservation was established in 1882, the tribe was made up of hunters and gatherers who would live on the plateau regions in the fall and winter and in the Canyon in the spring and summer.
The three sets of waterfalls that line Havasu Creek in the Canyon have made the reservation a popular tourist destination for campers and hikers.
Tourism is the base economy for the tribe.
– Jennifer Duffy
If you're going to make the drive, here are a few places in the area to stop and see.
Supai
• Where: This village, homeland of the Havasupai Indians, lies deep in the Grand Canyon and can be reached only by helicopter or by traveling an eight-mile trail.
There's a $35 entrance fee per person. (Kids younger than 7 can get in free.)
Once you're there, there are a few places to stay.
• The Lodge: Room includes two queen beds, bath and air conditioning. Non-smoking. $145 per night for up to four people, plus a $40 deposit.
• For reservations, call 1-928-448-2111 or 1-928-448-2201.
• Campgrounds: All visitors staying at the campgrounds must stop in at the camping office to pay the required fees.
• The cost is $17 per person per night, plus a $5 environmental care fee per group.
• For camping reservations, call 1-928-448-2141 or 1-928-448-2121. Reservations only can be made over the phone.
• For more information, visit www.havasupaitribe.com.
High season is April-September. Typically limited to 200 people on the campground. Make reservations as early as possible.
Grand Canyon Caverns and Inn
• Where: 22 miles west of Seligman, on Route 66.
• How much: $72 for two double beds for two people or $87 for four people. Rooms have air conditioning, bath, TV and telephone.
• Amenities: There's a restaurant on site, as well as laundry, convenience market and swimming pool. A Wi-Fi Internet connection is available in the lobby.
• For reservations, call 1-928-422-3223
The Grand Canyon Cavern is a limestone cavern about 200 feet below ground accessible by elevator.
• Tours: There are 45-minute 3/4-mile walking tours every half-hour daily, except Christmas Day. Cost is $12.95 per adult and $9.95 per child.
A special Explorers Tour takes two hours and costs $44.95 per person for groups of two to six people. You must make a reservation.
• Check out more at www.gccaverns.com.
Hualapai Lodge
• Where: Peach Springs, off Route 66. (57 miles to the Skywalk on dirt and rock road.)
• Cost: $89.95 for two double beds for one person; $99.95 for two people; $104.95 for three; $109.95 for four.
There is a restaurant on site, outdoor pool, Jacuzzi, fitness center, laundry and gift shop.
• For reservations, call 1-928-769-2230.
Cabins at Hualapai Ranch
• Where: Grand Canyon West (five miles to the Skywalk)
This is the closet place to stay near the Skywalk.
• Cost: $149 per person, based on double occupancy. That includes a tour and three meals.
• For reservations, call 1-877-716-9378
Kingman
• Where: About 50 miles from Peach Springs. For a list of motels and accommodations, visit www.kingmantourism.org.
Las Vegas
• It's about a three-hour drive from Las Vegas to the Skywalk — or a quick 20-minute flight from Las Vegas.
• Vision Airlines has a West Rim Air & Ground tour that does same-day touring flights from North Las Vegas Airport to Grand Canyon West.
It's on an 18-seat air-conditioned passenger plane and includes lunch and a bus tour. The cost is $244 per person.
For reservations, call 1-800-256-8767. For more information, visit visionholidays.com.
– Jennifer Duffy
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