Patayan

Patayan is a group of precontact and historical Native American cultures residing in parts of modern-day Arizona, west to Lake Cahuilla in California, and in Baja California.

This cultural grouping also included areas along the Gila River, Colorado River and Lower Colorado River Valley, the nearby uplands, and up north toward the vicinity of the Grand Canyon. Evidence shows that Patayan lifeways have persisted from AD 700 to the 20th century.

Pataya (pah-tah-yáh) comes from the Pai linguistic branch (Hualapai, Havasupai, Yavapai, and Paipai) from the Yuman-Cochimí language family, and translates loosely to "old people".

The Patayan archaeological record includes material remains including ceramic effigies, pottery, and evidence of early settlement sites such as pithouses. Evidence suggests that the Patayan traded with and were influenced by the Hohokam.