(Washington Insider Magazine) – The Havasupai Tribe of northern Arizona is due to reopen tourism after receiving emergency aid for devastating damage caused by flooding in October 2022.
Arizona Flooding Continues To Limit Locals; Federal Aid Inbound
The Federal Emergency Management Agency confirmed on Sunday that President Joe Biden has made a federal disaster declaration for the Arizona Havasupai Tribe and approved emergency aid. The declaration will provide the Tribe with a wide range of federal assistance programs which will include funds for flood damage relief.
The emergency funds will be designated for the Havasupai Tribe and also designated to certain nonprofits. They will share the costs for emergency work and for repairs from the October flood damage.
In 2020, the pandemic preempted a closure of the Reservation, giving highly restrictive access to only emergency health needs to ensure community health. Although tourism was thought to reopen in 2022, the October flood prolonged the restrictions due to destroyed bridges and trails needed for tourists who visit the Supai Village. This damage caused severe hardship to the Reservation and limited the everyday movement of goods and services for the Havasupai Tribe.
The Havasupai Tribe lives independently on a 3,000-foot-deep Havasu Canyon inside the Arizona Grand Canyon. It’s one of Northern America’s smallest tribes and is the only one that resides inside the canyon. The tribal community has lived in this location for more than eight hundred years. The Tribal community is self-sufficient in growing their own crops on broken plateaus of land inside the canyon as well as farming their own animals for the reservation.
The Havasupai Tribe name is derived from the word Havasu, which means blue-green water. The Supai Village reflects the name of the majestic blue-green waterfalls that inhabit the Reservation. The blue-green waterfalls are a popular destination for tourism and the Federal emergency aid will help with necessary repairs.
The Havasupai Tribal Council has announced its plan to reopen the land to tourism again after its initial closure in 2020 due to the threat of Covid-19. February 1st, 2023, Supai campgrounds, hiking trails, and the blue-green waterfalls will be open to current permit holders.
