Sovereign Nations, Enduring Cultures
Tribal lands make up one-quarter of Arizona’s vast landscapes. With 22 sovereign tribal nations throughout the state, visitors have many opportunities for immersive cultural tours. Tribal communities invite visitors to attend ceremonies and festivals to witness their traditions firsthand.
Start your tour in Central Arizona at the “big house.” Casa Grande Ruins National Monument preserves a massive adobe structure and remnants of a village inhabited by Ancestral Pueblo cultures of the desert Southwest. Head to the most remote access point of the Grand Canyon, where the Hualapai tribal community offers hikes and whitewater rafting tours of Grand Canyon West. On the Navajo Nation, native guides lead hikes to sacred canyons and monuments that most visitors do not get to see.
Museums throughout the state display artifacts that preserve the stories of Arizona’s Indigenous communities. At the Heard Museum in Phoenix, see a staggering collection of traditional and contemporary American Indian artworks that spans centuries. The Museum of Northern Arizona and the Hopi Cultural Center up north display cultural artifacts that tell the stories of Ancestral Pueblo communities. In Southern Arizona, Amerind Museum interprets the culture and pathways of multiple Indigenous communities of the Southwest.
Many sites on tribal lands require permits to visit, and others require visitors to schedule tours guided by tribal members. Learn more about visiting tribal communities, including tips for purchasing authentic arts and crafts.
