By Jean Cross

Long ago it was said 'Skatakaamcha' (the Spiritual Protector) destroyed the eagle family that had killed his mother and gorged on her flesh. Clutched in the raptors talons, Skatakaamcha was carried high into the eagle's nest. He killed the adult eagles and fledglings but his revenge left him no pathway back down. Below the cliff, he spotted Kampanyika ('bat') collecting seeds. He called out, "Grandmother, come up here and take me down". She came and with her was the first burden basket. "My grandson, if you will sit in this basket and not open your eyes, I will take you down". But Skatakaamcha couldn't resist stealing a peek as they neared the bottom. Both crashed into the earth. Still, the basket saved him so he could go on slaying monsters and making the world a better place for Yavapai.

This is one of the Yavapai stories passed down from generation to generation. "Baskets have stories, songs, and genealogies. They have helped us on our travels and told us who we are as a people" (Greg Sarris, Pomo). Yavapai say that they have always lived in Arizona's highlands. Opinions differ as to their origin ranging from descendants of the Sinagua (500-1400AD) to maintaining that the Yavapai are from the Colorado River area after 1300AD. The Yavapai (People of the Sun) have been known by many names. Spanish explorers identified three groups naming them Cruzados, Nijoras and Tejuas. Antonia Espejos's 1583 expedition reported that Cruzados were living in the Verde Valley. Yavapai are sometimes associated with Apaches but their languages differ and therefore their origins are not the same. 

Baskets played an important role in both these peoples lives since the Yavapai and the Apache's lived in similar environments where seasonal travels necessitated the use of a means of transporting goods and collecting food. Both are noted for their skill in weaving baskets. Baskets tell us how these early inhabitants lived since they were essential in carrying out the daily life at that time. Baskets were used to store grain, to carry water, to sift grain and seeds, as fish traps, as hats and the burden basket carried the necessities of life when moving from place to place. 

Since the early inhabitants followed the seasons in search of food, they moved frequently. The early Yavapai lived mostly in wickiups or pit houses. In winter they found caves a more suitable home since they provided shelter from rain and snow and could be heated more efficiently. Sleeping mats were made of yucca and placed on softened-juniper-bark. Rabbit or bear skins provided warmth. Water jars were twined and covered with pitch or agave juice to make them watertight. Metates were prized possessions and smaller milling stones were carried in the burden basket when moving from place to place. Pottery was used to store food and water and could also be placed on the coals to cook food. 

Life for the Yavapai changed drastically with the arrival of the Walker party. In 1863, gold was discovered and the territory once considered by the Yavapai as their home became inundated with miners, settlers and the military. Some believed that it was most humanitarian to defeat the Indians and place them on reservations. Due to the depravation of the Indians by these newcomers, they finally surrendered in 1873. Yavapai were herded together and led on long marches to be confined on reservations. One such march was a trek of 180 miles from Camp Verde to San Carlos on the "March of Sorrows". Of the 2000 Indians beginning this march, 115 died on the way. San Carlos was unsuitable because of the heat, insects, rattlesnakes and poor water. Disease and sickness was rampant. Before 1900, Yavapais were freed and began leaving San Carlos. Some returned to the Camp Verde area. Some came back to settle near Fort Whipple. "We do not want anything fancy, no fine homes, not much land. All we want is equal opportunity and the right to take our place as full-fledged Americans", declared Viola Jimulla. 

On June 7, 1935, seventy-five acres from Fort Whipple were transferred to the Yavapais, the smallest reservation in the U.S. Later, in 1956, 1320 acres were added, also from Fort Whipple holdings. It was on this land that the Prescott Resort and two Casinos were built as well as Frontier Village Shopping Center. 

To learn more about the Yavapai people, visit the exhibit, "The Baskets Keep Talking", at Sharlot Hall Museum. Much of the information in this article has been taken from a guide to this exhibit. It is respectfully presented here in an effort to further acquaint the public with the life and times of the Yavapai people. 

 

Sharlot Hall Museum Photograph Call Number:(iny2134p). Reuse only by permission.
Baskets played an important role in the everyday life of the Yavapai.