The People of Supai

When I was younger, maybe 8 or so, my Uncle Rick took my parents and I to a Navajo Reservation. I don't remember much, but I do recall talking to an old Indian fellow. He was very kind and quiet, but there was a sternness to him. I was immediately impressed.

The Havasupai people are a rare breed. My first real encounter with them was less than a mile onto the trail. An older Indian, large sunglasses, a bandanna wrapped like a headband around his dome to hold back his long, braided hair, and a loose-fitting plaid button-down shirt rode past me on the path leading a trio of mule, packed with supplies. I stepped aside to let him pass and he quietly acknowledged me with a simple hand gesture (similar to the stereotypical "How" we associate nearly every American Indian with) and a slight nod of the head. I've since greeted many of the folk here the same way and have since been treated with complete acceptance and respect.

The Havasupai people are extremely reserved and quiet. They keep to themselves and don't interact with the campers that wander through town unless absolutely necessary. Frankly, I don't blame them. We are, in fact, visitors on their land. If they choose to keep to themselves, then so be it. I'm just grateful that they allow many people such as myself to explore this incredible oasis. I have the feeling that there are quite a few out there that forget that. I did however, get a rare opportunity to enter into full conversation with an older Havasupai gentleman. While swimming in the water hole below Mooney Falls (I was pretty much the only one there), one of the labor workers approached me and asked if the water was warm enough to swim in. From there, he explained to me in detail about their conservation project in response to the recent floods and everything they were doing, and may need to do, to build back up the aquamarine pools below the falls. I asked a lot of questions about their efforts and he volunteered even more information. I didn't get his name, but talking with him down there was one of the highlights of the trip.

I read somewhere upon doing research for my visit that the Havasupai people are rude and lazy. I could see how someone would mistake their reserved nature for rudeness (which isn't the case...they're actually very kind, just quiet) but as far as being lazy, I couldn't disagree more. From the moment I stepped into the village, I've witnessed a great number of the men herein the midst of hard labor, from construction to farming to tending their livestock and horses. Much of this may be due to the floods that ravaged the lands less than two years ago, but nonetheless, they're working hard. They're very proud people, and I can see that due to the destruction here (which has since begun to blend into the natural landscape, much due to the efforts of its people) they want their visitors to witness a spectacle of beauty and serenity here, not one that represents the harshness and unforgiving side of mother nature.

These are a people whose traditions and values have been carried and retained by them through dozens of generations. Stepping into their lives was like entering a different world, not quite the past, but not quite the present either. The next time I travel to Supai (and I will go back) I hope to extend my stay for longer than just two and a half days, if for nothing else than to become more exposed to their ways of life. I could probably learn a thing or two. Maybe we all could.