The Colorado River Tribes

​

​The Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) (Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi, and Navajo) represent a federally recognized sovereign nation based in Parker, Arizona. Established in 1865, the reservation covers nearly 300,000 acres along 90 miles of the Colorado River, focusing on agriculture, gaming, and tourism. CRIT holds senior water rights to over 700,000 acre-feet of the Colorado River. The Mohave have lived along the Colorado River for over 800 years, while the Chemehuevi primarily occupied the eastern branch. The reservation was created to support these groups, with the Hopi and Navajo families relocating later in 1945.​

​

The primary community in the CRIT Reservation is Parker, Arizona, which is located on a combination of Tribal land, leased land that is owned by CRIT and land owned by non-Native Americans. There are other, smaller communities on the reservation, including Poston, located 10 miles south of Parker.

​

Colorado River Tribal Government

​

​The Colorado River Indian Tribes' Tribal government is overseen by a nine-member Tribal Council led by a Chairman and a Vice-Chairman who are elected by bi-annual votes of the membership. Each Tribal Council member is elected to a four-year term. Elections are held in early December of even-numbered years.
​

Colorado River Culture and the Great Seal

​

The primary economic activity on the CRIT Reservation has always been agriculture, going back to the days when mesquite trees were plentiful along the banks of the river and were relied upon for everything from food to cooking to Tribal traditions and ceremonies. CRIT continues to have a strong farming and agricultural industry, including growing cotton, alfalfa and sorghum.

​

However, in recent years the Tribal economy has diversified greatly, and now includes forays and businesses in several different fields. Sand and gravel, real estate development and retail stores have all been part of the Tribes' economic development efforts. And over the past decade, a heavy emphasis has turned toward tourism, as CRIT opened the BlueWater Resort and Casino in Parker and has endeavored to attract both cultural and recreational tourists to the area.

​

The tribal seal of the Colorado River Indian Tribes was designed and officially accepted in 1966 as a result of a contest open to all members. This design, by John Scott, was selected because it represented all aspects of the Tribes.

​

The sunburst design around the edges depicts the sun's rays, with 52 points for 52 weeks of sunshine. Riverside Mountain appears on the horizon, and the Colorado River flows across the seal. A crosshatch design is included to represent the checkerboard of farmed parcels in the reservation, and a shaft of wheat crossed with a branch of cotton represent the prime agricultural resources.

​

The four feathers at the top of the seal represent the four Tribes - the Mohave, Chemehuevi, Hopi and Navajo.

​

Did you know?

​

Poston was the site in World War II of one of the United States' largest Japanese internment camps, where thousands of Japanese-Americans were held over a three-year period. The camp sites are now home to a monument dedicated to those who died and suffered while in internment, and CRIT is currently in the process of creating a museum to commemorate the era.