The tribal lands of Arizona

Arizona is a feast for the senses – the sights, sounds, flavors, scents and textures.

This is very evident in the homeland of the state’s 22 American Indian Tribes.

Each Tribal Nation has its own history, traditions and culture that visitors can learn about when engaging with their music, scenery, arts and cuisine.

See
Hire a Navajo guide to wander through the towering walls of Antelope Canyon, one of the world famous orange-hued slot canyons on the Navajo Nation. See natural sandstone arches and rock formations in Monument Valley , exploring this one-of-a-kind desert landscape via jeep tours or biking around the mesas with Dzil Ta’ah Adventures, a Navajo-owned experience dedicated to Navajo Nation’s history and culture.

Stop by Arizona’s national monuments that preserve Indigenous communities’ ancient ways of life. Hike up to Tonto National Monument near Roosevelt Lake to observe the upper and lower cliff dwellings of the Salado people, ancestors to multiple tribes in Arizona, whose dwellings are more than 700 years old. At Casa Grande National Monument in Coolidge, visitors can explore an ancient farming community where the ancestors of the O’odham, Hopi and Zuni created an irrigation system that is the foundation of Arizona’s modern network of canals.

Hear
Listening to the steady beating of drums, flutes and boisterous singing in Indigenous languages gives visitors a glimpse into each tribe’s culture. Catch live performances of traditional and contemporary tribal songs at Arizona’s various inter-tribal festivals held throughout the year. Enjoy rhythmic drumming at the annual Arizona Indian Festival held in Scottsdale in February. Also in February is the World Champion Hoop Dance Contest where visitors can hear the  drums while watching the world’s best Hoop Dancers perform at the Heard Museum in Phoenix.

Taste
Discover Indigenous culture with your taste buds when eating Native cuisine. Enjoy world renowned Native American inspired cuisine at Kai at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, the only restaurant in the state to have earned Forbes Five Stars. Crafted with the help of local farmers, Kai’s dishes and menu tell the story of the Akimel O’odham and the Pee Posh people. Just in time for Native American Heritage Month, the annual Arizona Indigenous Food Symposium and Arizona Indigenous Culinary Experience held every November in Scottsdale, allows visitors to watch Indigenous Arizona chefs prepare traditional and contemporary Native cuisine.

Touch
Touch the woven baskets, wooden kachina dolls and the ridges of a silversmith’s work on turquoise, coral and shell  jewellery when looking for perfect handcrafted goods. Embark on a guided tour to explore the Hopi Arts Trail that takes art enthusiasts into the Hopi Tribe’s mesas to various art galleries. Interact with Hopi artists about their paintings, pottery, woven baskets and kachina dolls before buying a piece to take home. Shop for authentic American Indian goods at the Native Art Market in Old Town Scottsdale, an Indigenous owned and operated store offering Native artists’ work from shirts to jewelry to art.

Smell
In Arizona, the Creosote bush, a southwestern plant that releases a unique sweet aroma especially when it rains, is influential to many tribes in the state. For years, tribal communities used the creosote bush for its medicinal properties to aid with a wide variety of health issues. The fragrant creosote bush is abundant within the Sonoran Desert. Breathe in this plant’s sweet fragrance as you stroll through Mission Garden in Tucson. Enjoy both the scent and wellness benefits of the creosote bush when receiving an ancient Shegoi Wrap & Massage at the Aji Spa at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass Resort. This luxurious spa helps guests unwind by drawing from the sacred treatments of the Pima and Maricopa tribes which use Indigenous plants such as the creosote bush.

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