Patayan

Patayan is a group of prehistoric and contemporary 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 1900’s.

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. There’s also evidence that the Patayan participated in trade routes and were influenced by the Hohokam.