Why do the tribes care about Grand Canyon and its resources?
The tribes consider Grand Canyon to be very important to their history. It’s in their origin narratives, was a place where their ancestors lived, and for some of the tribes, it is a part of their current reservation land. Similarly, the resources in Grand Canyon maintain a traditional cultural importance. They have been used as foods, medicines, ceremonial items, craft materials, housing, and for a multitude of other purposes. They are the basis of traditional ways of life in tribal cultures. Even though modern society has reduced tribes’ day-to-day dependence on some of these resources, their importance to the tribal cultures nevertheless remains intact.
