Walapai

Walapai Tribe

Walapai Indians (Xawálapáya, ‘pine tree folk.’ – Harrington). A Yuman tribe originally living on middle Colorado River, above the Mohave tribe, from the great bend eastward, well into the interior chiefly by the chase and on roots and seeds. They are said to have been brave and enterprising, but physically inferior to the Mohave. The Havasupai, who are an offshoot, speak a closely-related language. The Walapai numbered 728 in 1889, 631 in 1897, and 498 in 1910. They are under the administration of a school superintendent on the Walapai Reservation of 730,880 acres in north west Arizona, and are making … Read more

Walapai Indians

The Walapai Indians, also known as the “pine-tree folk,” are a Native American tribe belonging to the Yuman branch of the Hokan linguistic stock. Closely related to the Havasupai and Yavapai, they historically occupied the region along the middle Colorado River, above the Mohave, extending southward toward Bill Williams Fork. The tribe’s numerous villages were spread across different geographic divisions, including north, west, central, east, and southern areas. First encountered by European explorers in the 16th and 18th centuries, the Walapai population has fluctuated significantly over time, reflecting the broader historical challenges faced by Yuman tribes in the region.