Explore the Southern Paiute community in and around Tuba City, Arizona.
The Southern Paiute tribal community has close ties to the neighboring Navajo and Hopi nations. Southern Paiutes trace their original homelands to portions of Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. The largest community today is located near Tuba City, about an hour north of Flagstaff. This is a private community without tribal enterprises for visitors. Visitors who explore the area are asked to honor tribal laws while visiting.
Museums and Trading Posts
Much like Navajo artists are recognized for their rugs and Hopi artists for their Katsina carvings, Southern Paiute artists are known for their intricate basket weaving. Find these rare beauties at museums, trading posts and roadside markets in and near Tuba City. Generations of skilled artisans have created these traditional baskets used in ceremonies and daily life. In Tuba City, browse the collection of art and artifacts representing tribal communities in the area at the Explore Navajo Interactive Museum and the Tuba City Trading Post. The enormous Cameron Trading Post is just a few miles south on Highway 89 and features artwork from tribal communities throughout the Southwest, plus a great lodge perched on a rim overlooking the Little Colorado River.
Scenic Drives
Getting to Tuba City from Flagstaff presents wonderful transitions from pine forests to rolling grasslands to multicolored badlands. Highway 89 north is the gateway to both the south and north rims of the Grand Canyon. From 89, head east on Highway 160 (the Navajo Trail) to reach the southern region of the Paiute tribal community. Continue on 160 through the Navajo Nation, where the dramatic landscapes have become iconic representations of the American Southwest. Drive through Monument Valley and Painted Desert landscapes to see multicolored hoodoos, mesas and buttes.
Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians
The territory of the Paiute tribal community stretches across Northern Arizona and Southern Utah. The Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians resides north of the Grand Canyon near the city of Fredonia. Touring the Kaibab Paiute homeland is an easy side trip for visitors heading to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Continue north on 89 to reach Page, a scenic little city near the banks of Lake Powell, then head west to Fredonia. Along the way, visit Vermillion Cliffs National Monument to hike through swirling sandstone landscapes.
