GOVERNANCE: The Tribal government is led by a nine member Tribal Council, selected by bi-annual votes of the Tribal membership. Council members serve staggered 4-year terms, and elections are held in December in even-numbered years.. The Council meets the second Saturday of each month. The Colorado River Indian Tribes reside in Congressional District 4; Legislative District 5.
CONSTITUTION AND RESEARCH CODE:
Colorado River Indian Tribes Codes, Laws, and Ordinances
COMMUNITY PROFILE: The Colorado River Indian Tribes include the Mohave, Chemehuevl, Hopi, and Navajo. The federal government established the Colorado River Indian Tribes Reservation in 1865 originally for the Mohave and Chemehuevl people that had lived along the Colorado River for hundreds of years. The Mohave have farmed the Colorado River basin for more than 800 years, while the Chemehuevl were a nomadic tribe that inhabited the east branch of the Colorado River and farmed on a smaller scale. People of the Hopi and Navajo were relocated to the Reservation in 1945. Although the four Tribes share the Reservation and function as one political unit, each Tribe observes its own unique traditions, religions, and customs.
According to the 2018 Census, approximately 9,929 individuals live on the Colorado River Indian Tribe Reservation in western Arizona and California. The Reservation is nearly 300,000 acres, including 90 miles of river shoreline along the Colorado River. The river is primarily used for irrigated farming. The primary community on the Reservation is located in Parker, Arizona. Located twelve miles south of Parker is Poston, Arizona, the site of one of the United States' largest Japanese internment camps, now home to an historic monument and museum.
The primary economic activity of the Tribes is agriculture. Today the Tribes harvest cotton, alfalfa, and sorghum. The Tribes also operate Blue Water Resort and Casino, and their Fish and Game Department manages tourist activities along the Colorado River.
| |
Colorado River Indian Tribes Reservation
|
Arizona
|
United States
|
| Total Population* |
9,929 |
6,946,685 |
322,903,030 |
| Number of Households |
3,245 |
2,524,300 |
119,730,128 |
| Average Household Size |
3.00 |
2.69 |
2.63 |
| Median Age |
35.3 |
37.4 |
37.9 |
| Population Under Age 18 |
25.8% |
23.5% |
22.8% |
| Population Over Age 65 |
16.4% |
16.7% |
15.2% |
| Speaks a Language Other Than English in Household |
25.0% |
27.2% |
21.5% |
| Married-Couple Households |
40.3% |
57.0% |
58.6% |
| Owner-Occupied Housing Units |
66.9% |
63.6% |
63.8% |
| Age 25+ with High School Degree or Higher |
76.1% |
86.8% |
87.7% |
| Median Household Income |
$21,244 |
$56,213 |
$60,293 |
| Below Federal Poverty Threshold |
26.3% |
16.1% |
14.1% |
| Households with at Least One Computing Device |
76.2% |
89.9% |
88.8% |
| Households with a Desktop/Laptop |
60.6% |
79.7% |
77.9% |
*All statistics are from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.
