Mohave people facts for kids
Henry Welshe, Mojave tribal chairman of Colorado River Indian Reservation council, c. 1944–46
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 2,000 (Golla, 2007); 967 (1990) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States ( Arizona) |
|
| Languages | |
| Mojave, English | |
| Religion | |
| traditional tribal religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Maricopa, Walapai, Havasupai, and Yavapai |
The Mohave or Mojave people, also known as 'Aha Makhav' in their own language, are a Native American group. They originally lived along the Colorado River in the Mojave Desert. Today, many Mojave people live on two main reservations. The Fort Mojave Indian Reservation is in California, Arizona, and Nevada. The Colorado River Indian Reservation is in California and Arizona. This reservation is shared with members of the Chemehuevi, Hopi, and Navajo peoples.
These reservations were created a long time ago, in 1865 and 1870. They have important rights to use water from the Colorado River. This water helps them grow crops through irrigation, which is a way of watering fields. The four tribes on the Colorado River Indian Reservation work together as one group. They are known as the federally recognized Colorado River Indian Tribes. Even so, each tribe keeps its own special traditions, religions, and unique identity.
Contents
Mojave Culture and Traditions
In the 1930s, a researcher named George Devereux lived with the Mohave people. He studied their culture for a long time. He wrote many books and articles about their way of life.
Mojave Language Today
The Mojave language is part of the River Yuman branch of the Yuman language family. In 1994, about 75 people on the Colorado River and Fort Mojave reservations still spoke the language. This information comes from a language expert named Leanne Hinton. The tribe has created materials to help teach their language. There are new efforts to teach the Mojave language to children today.
Mojave Beliefs and Religion
The Mohave people believe their creator is Matevilya. He gave them their names and rules to live by. His son is Mastamho. Mastamho gave them the Colorado River and taught them how to farm. Historically, the Mohave were farmers. They grew crops in the rich soil near the river. They followed old customs passed down through generations.
Mojave History and Ancestry
Much of the early history of the Mojave people was not written down. This is because the Mojave language did not have a writing system long ago. They passed down their history and culture through spoken stories and songs. Sadly, diseases and new cultures coming into their land changed their way of life. Having to adapt to a new language also made it harder to pass on their stories and songs.
Understanding the Tribal Name
The name of the tribe has been spelled in over 50 different ways in Spanish and English. Some examples are Hamock avi and Amacava. This has led to some misunderstandings about the name. One mistake came from a book published in 1917. It incorrectly said the name Mohave came from hamock (meaning "three") and avi (meaning "mountain"). This idea suggested the name referred to the mountain peaks called The Needles. However, the Mojave people call these peaks Huukyámpve''. This means "where the battle took place." It refers to a battle where the God-son, Mastamho, fought a sea serpent.
Ancestral Lands of the Mojave
The Mojave people lived on lands along the Colorado River. These lands stretched from Black Canyon in the north. This is where the tall pillars of First House of Mutavilya stood. Their land continued past Avi kwame, or Spirit Mountain, which was a very important spiritual place. It went all the way to the Quechan Valley, where other tribes' lands began. Thinking about modern places, their lands started near Hoover Dam and ended about 100 miles below Parker Dam. The Colorado River is called aha kwahwat in Mojave.
Mojave Life in the 1800s and 1900s
In 1859, United States soldiers, led by Lieutenant Colonel William Hoffman, moved into Mojave territory. Their goal was to build a military fort. At this time, white settlers were moving onto Mojave lands. The fort was meant to protect these new settlers from attacks by the Mojave. Hoffman warned the tribes that the fort would be built by force if they resisted. During this time, some members of the Rose-Baley Party were attacked by the Mojave. The Mojave warriors moved away as Hoffman's army arrived. The army then took over land near where Fort Mojave would be built, without a fight.
Hoffman ordered the Mojave men to meet him on April 23, 1859. He told them they had to either give in or be wiped out. The Mojave chose to give in. At that time, there were about 4,000 Mojave people. They were organized into 22 clans, each with its own special symbol.
.jpg)
After the Colorado River Reservation was created in 1865, American law said the Mohave should live there. However, many Mojave people did not want to leave their homes in the Mojave Valley. At first, the military did not force them to move. So, the Mojave in that area were mostly free to live by their tribal ways. In 1890, after the Indian Wars ended, the military left. The fort was then given to the Office of Indian Affairs.
Starting in August 1890, the Office of Indian Affairs began a program to make Native American children more like American children. This was called assimilation. Mohave and other Native children on reservations were forced to go to boarding schools. There, they learned to speak, write, and read English. This program was based on the idea that it was the only way for Native peoples to survive. Fort Mojave was turned into a boarding school for local children. Until 1931, all Fort Mojave boys and girls aged six to eighteen had to live at this school. Some were even sent to other boarding schools far away.
,_ca.1900_(CHS-3410).jpg)
This assimilation program aimed to break up tribal cultures and governments. Besides English, the schools taught American culture and customs. Students had to follow these new ways. They had to change their hairstyles, clothing, eating habits, and manners. Using their own language or customs was punished. At Fort Mojave, children could be whipped five times for the first offense. This type of punishment shocked the Mojave people, who did not discipline their children in that way.
As part of this program, administrators gave English names to the children. They also registered them as members of one of two tribes: the Mojave Tribe on the Colorado River Reservation or the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe. These new divisions did not match the traditional Mojave clan system. By the late 1960s, 18 of the 22 traditional clans had still survived.
Mojave Population Numbers
.jpg)
It is hard to know exactly how many Native people lived in California before Europeans arrived. Alfred L. Kroeber, a historian, estimated that about 3,000 Mohave people lived there in 1770. Francisco Garcés, a missionary, also estimated the population at 3,000 in 1776.
Kroeber estimated the population in 1910 was 1,050. By 1963, research showed the population had dropped to about 988. Of these, 438 were at Fort Mojave and 550 were on the Colorado River Reservation.
Current Status of the Mojave People
Today, the Mohave people share the Colorado River Indian Reservation with the Chemehuevi, some Hopi, and some Navajo people. They work together as one group called the federally recognized Colorado River Indian Tribes. However, each tribe still keeps its own traditions, religions, and unique identity. The main offices, library, and museum for the Colorado River Indian Tribes are in Parker, Arizona. This is about 40 miles (64 km) north of I-10.
The Colorado River Indian Tribes Native American Days Fair & Expo is held every year in Parker. It takes place from Thursday to Sunday during the first week of October. Another event, the Megathrow Traditional Bird Singing & Dancing social event, is celebrated every year on the third weekend of March. There are also places for RVs along the Colorado River for visitors.
See also
In Spanish: Mojave (tribu) para niños
- Mohave traditional narratives
- Blythe geoglyphs
- Fort Mohave, Arizona
- Bullhead City, Arizona
- Population of Native California
- Hi-wa itck, a syndrome triggered by separation from a loved one
