Hualapai Life
9
The "real" origins
If we can't handle the legend about the Hualapai origins, then there is always the anthropologist's version.
What is sure about Hualapai origins is that their tribe was in relation with the ancient Pai tribe according to anthropologists. Moreover, the relationship between the two tribes is also told by petroglyphs found near Ha'thi-el, or Salty Spring. Oral history also says that all tribes with the word "Pai" in their names (which means the People) are related to each other closely. The Pai were among the first tribes to set foot in the Canyon, and their earliest signs of existence are dating back to 600 AD. They most probably split up after European contact.
The present of the Hualapai Indians
The Hualapai are traditionally nomadic hunter-gatherers as the areas near Colorado River offer hunting grounds, roots and plants, and even various minerals to collect. According to the official Hualapai Information booklet, national plants of the Hualapai include "desert tobacco, cane reed, bear grass, various cacti, and edible grass seeds".
Hualapai Indians are also good hunters, and the river offers a variety of fish that are frequently served on the tables of the Hualapai. Besides using a bow and arrows to hunt, Hualapai people utilize cleverly made traps, fire, and various nets to catch animals. For example, Watahomigie et al. mentions that "rabbits were …driven into nets made of milkweed fiber…the nets were stretched and rabbits driven into them. After the drive, the rabbits were divided among the whole camp." Other hunted animals included antelope, deer, and bighorn sheep.
These were all made available by the Colorado River, or as the Hualapai call it, Ha’yiđađa, the Spine of the River. Colorado River flooded annually, similar to several other big rivers (like Nile) across the world, which made annual harvesting possible. Whenever the river flooded, Hualapai left their homes to build so-called Ramadas on the flatlands. These were serving as temporary places to stay until the harvest has ended and they returned to their homes made of hides and pine tree-poles.
What they lacked from the harvest, they obtained by trading as they were impressive traders as well: their trade caravans even reached the Pacific Ocean on the West and the Rio Grande on the East. They also traded hides and meat in exchange for crops with their neighboring tribes, such as the Havasupai. According to McMillan, over 25% of Hualapai pottery products were imported.
Hualapai Life
Preparation of the prickly pear