Indigenous Voices of the Colorado Plateau

Havasu Canyon - Shangri-la of Shangri-las/ Hidden Paradise is located in the southwestern corner of Grand Canyon National Park. People from all over the world consider the Havasu Canyon to be a unique and beautiful canyon oasis. Havasu Canyon is known around the world for its picturesque natural scenery. Havasu Canyon boasts a beautiful fresh water stream flowing through the bottom of the canyon that produces an oasis-like environment amid the harsh desert landscape.

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Havasu Canyon

Havasu Creek, , the lifeblood of the Havasupai, supports diverse plant and animal life along its banks. The creek is one of the chief attractions of the region, drawing thousands of tourist visitors each year. The stream's watercourse length is nearly ten miles from source to mouth, where it empties into the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. There are many natural dam formations made by calcium deposits found along the stream course. These natural embankments control the flow of the stream waters, creating many beautiful pools. Havasu Creek is usually greenish in appearance but in some places the water is a lovely, deep turquoise.

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Havasu Creek

The Falls (Navajo, Havasu, & Mooney).

A main attraction of the Havasupai Reservation are its blue-green waterfalls. There are three major falls: Navajo, Havasu, and Mooney. Each has an average height of more than 75 feet.

Navajo Falls is located 1.5 miles downstream from the Havasupai village. This falls was named after a Supai chief, who was kidnapped by the Navajo tribe in his childhood and thereafter became known as "Navajo". Navajo Falls plunges from a height of 75 feet, while Havasu Falls descends from a height of 100 feet. This falls is popular with many tourists, who come from all over the world to admire its beauty. The path to Havasu Falls is rough and difficult, often challenging hikers. It is considered very beautiful when viewed in the moonlight. Havasu Falls is often a favorite subject for photographers as well. Mooney Falls is the most magnificent of the three and tumbles down from a height of about 200 feet. It is extremely difficult to reach this waterfall because the trail is slippery and dangerous. The story telling of how Mooney Falls received its name is a tragic one. In 1880, a sailor named James Mooney and his friends decided to mine the area near Havasu Falls for minerals. Subsequently the group moved on to Mooney Falls. According to Mooney's companions, James Mooney fell to his death when trying to climb up the falls, and the waterfall was named after him.

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Navajo Falls
Havasu Falls
Mooney Falls

Ghost Canyon.  This is a canyon near Mooney Falls where many of the dead Havasupai were cremated in the earlier times; hence, the name Ghost Canyon.

References
Wampler, Joseph. Havasu, A Canyon Home. Berkeley, California: 1981: pp. 1-33.

Websites
American Southwest - Havasupai Indian Reservation