The Pima are a subgroup of the O'odham which also includes the Tohono O'Odham, and the Hia C-ed O'odham and are located in southern Arizona (USA) and Sonora (Mexico). Descendents of the ancient Hohokam ('the ones who came before'), Akimel O'odham means River People, as their lives were centered around the Gila River. "Pima" means "I don't know", which they used repeatedly in their initial meeting with Europeans. They lived peacefully except for the raiding Apaches, were great engineers, building extensive irrigation sytems that existed from prehistoric times to the present and were well-known for their generosity towards other groups. They thrived until the arrive of the Spanish missionaries, who squeezed the Pima into a corner of the 3.5 million acres that they stewarded for eons, forcing some north to relocate into what would become the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. The Gila River, which is now dry from over-use and drought. In December, 2005, President Bush signed legislation giving stewardship of the river, which runs at low levels only during Monsoon Season, back the The People. Today, approximately 16,000 Pima reside on 550,000 acres in Central Arizona in an autonomous, self-governed tribal system. Today, the Gila River Indian Community oversees three casinos, golf courses, a luxury resort, a western themed amusement park, various industrial parks, landfills, and construction supply. They are also involved in agriculture and runs their own farms and other agricultural projects.
(Add
picture)
