Colorado River Indian Reservation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Colorado River Indian Reservation is 189 miles (304 km) west of Phoenix, Arizona on highway 95. It lies in western La Paz County, Arizona, southeastern San Bernardino County, California, and northeastern Riverside County, California. It has a total land area of 1,119.4445 km² (432.22 sq mi). The 2000 census indicated a resident population of 9,201 persons, of which 3,389 were enrolled tribal members from the Chemehuevi, Mohavi, Hopi and Navajo, which today, collectively form a geopolitical body known as the Colorado River Indian Tribes. Tribal headquarters are in Parker, Arizona, the reservation's largest community.

Established in March 1865 for the "Indians of said river and its tributaries," the Colorado River Indian Reservation straddles a part of the Arizona and California border with 933.799 km² (360.542 sq mi) in Arizona and 185.645 km² (71.678 sq mi) in California.

The reservation's economy revolves around agriculture, recreation, light industry, and government. The Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) has senior water rights to 717,000 acre-feet (884,000,000 m³) of the Colorado River, which represents nearly a third of the allotment for the State of Arizona. The CRIT operates the BlueWater Resort and Casino in Parker, Arizona.

For 2005 restoration of land taken in 1915 see article of 20 December 2005 Indian Country Today The politics of passing bills"