7 Ind. CI. Corn. 219

EEFCR"LTHS I X D I A N CLAIMS COXXISS I O N

MOEAV", 'IRIaE OF IEDIAFS of Arizona, ) C a l i f o r n i a , and Nevada; and ROBERT mZ.(I?S, T?A?CS STILLCIAN, CEORGZ FEISON, HAL 0. 3AVLDSON, m U S W, FIELDS, AST-IUR COEXlJ.TI>I, and 9ARI43OD JEN'KIYS, members of Tribal Counci l ,

Defendant.

of t h e Colorado River Indian Tribes; ) and JJY CCULI), XC2YA?! SCOTT and 1 I.TD.ilITT LSCON, as r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s ) of such woup, )

1 P e t i t i o n e r s , )

\

V. i D o c k t No. 283

j Defendant. )

Decided: March 19, 1959

FIEIDIPXX OF FACT -- 1, ( a ) D o c k t s 295 md 283 were c o m o l i d a t e d by the C o ~ m i s s i o n

during the trizl of Docket 283 (Tr. 20).

Mohave T r i b e , 3rd f o r t heme lves , a d fcir all persons s i m i l z l y s i ~ -4 . I

as members of said t r i b e of Indians. These p e t i t i o n e r s z e of t h e

7 Ind, C 1 , Corn, 219 2 2C

s o - c a l l e d Needles group of ?lohave I n d i a n s l i v i n g on o r near t h e r e s e r v a t i o n

in t h e >lohave v d l e y s e t s i d e by Zxecutive Crders of A u p s t 22, 1890,

Decenber 1, 1910 and February 2, l 9 l f .

( c ) P e t i t i o n e r s i n D o c k t 283 a r e The Mohve Indians ' ~ m o a r e

members of The Coloracio River Ind ian Tr ibes a d named i n d i v i d u a l ~ m b e r s

a l l e g e d t o be Kohave Indians , The Colorado R ive r I ~ d i a n Rese rva t ion

w a s e s t a b l i s h e d by Act of Congress a?proved by t h e R e s i d e n t on >larch 3,

1865 (U S t a t . 559 ) , The Mohave Indizns on t h i s r e s e r v a t i o n are so re -

tiTnes r e f e r r e d t o as t'ne Parker group,

(d ) 'RE Nohave Tribe of I n d i m s is an i de r? t i f i ab l e t r i b e of Axer ican

I n d i a n s . The p e t i t i o n e r s i n Doc lets 283 ulc! 295 z r e i d e n t i f i a b l e g ~ o u p s

of Eohave 1 n d i i . z ~ ~ .s. P e t i i i o n e r s i n

t o p r e s e n t t h e c l a i m of t h e K o k v e

s a i d docke t s ,

2, P e t i t i o n e r s i n Docket 295

Dcckets 283 a d 24'5 have the c a p a c i t y i -

Tr ibe s e t f o r t h i n t h e p e t i t i o r s i n

i n t h e p e t i t i o n f i l e d on A u s s t 10,

1451, a l l e g e d Ind ian t i t l e i n t h e Xohave Tr ibe of Ind ians t o t h e fo l low-

ing desc r ibed lands:

A l l of t h e I.lohave Valley of the Colorzdo Ri-ver, ex t end ing n o r t h t o the Black Cvlyon i n s a i d r i v e r , e x t e n d i ~ g s o u t h t o t h e Mo'nave E o u ~ t a i m ; extending e a s t t o t h s h ighes t c r e s t of t h e 9 l ac k Mountzins, t o t h e Euc k Xomtzins and. t o t h e Mohvs Mountains; and ex tending v e s t t o t h e Sacr=snto Komta ins , t h e Dead Kountains, zzd to t h e Ye7rrberr-y Kountains,

A l l of t h e lands on k t h b z d ~ of t h e Colorada Fiver extend- i n g from t h e mias t r ea i of s a i d r i v e r Sack on e i t h e r s i d e 01" s a i d r i v e r t o the c r e s t of moun- t~ns Soreer lzg on s a i d p o r t i o n of s z i d r i v e r , and extending north t o t h e ZIo?izvz Valley i n s a i d river, and extending south t o a po in t 5 e 1 0 ~ .;5zt is no% kno-m. as and. c a l l e d the c i t y of S ly the , i n t h e count:^ cf Riverside, S t a t e of C a l i f o r riia.

7 Ind. C 1 , Con. 219

A l l of t h a t p=t of ?.:'n.zt is na? knovn a s the Zohave Deser t i n the S t a t e of Ca l i fo rn ia , extending e a s t t o t h e lands above described l o c a t e d on t h e Coiarado River, exten&irg south t o the Vhigple Mountains, t h e Turt le Ib!ountains, the C ~ a n i t e Mountains, t he Eagle Mountaizs, t h e l i t t l e San Eernardino Flourrtains, t h e S a Bernardino Hountains; e-xtending west t o the San Gabriel a d Tehachapi Mountai~s-; and exte nding nor th as far as t h e Graz~i te , Soda Lake, Providence and New York Mountains, including t h e va l l ey now known a s Paiute Valley extending north L?to the S t a t e of Nevada,

3* Pet i t ioners in Docket 283 (amended) s e t f a r t h the f o l l m i n g de-

s c r i p t i on of t h e lands claimed t o have been exclusively used and occupied

by the Mohave Tribe (kriended Pe t i t ion , paragraph 12) :

From time imnernorisl down through the periods of Spznish and then 1-iexican sovereignt ies and f i n a l l y a t ar,d a f t e r t he time (18L8) when t n e United S t ~ t e s , hereinafter c a l l e d De- fendant, acquired t h e area from ?:exico, Pet i t ioner ( tho i n these claims based on a b ~ r i g i ~ n a l own2rship of lacd s h a l l in- clude i t s Xohave 5edeces so r s ) t o the exclusion of a l l o the r s used, enjoyed, cccupied, possessed, cla5ned and owned i n t h e accustomd Indian manner an a rea about 200 miles l o q a ~ d 100 miles wide i n an6 adjacent t o t he val ley of the Colorado River. Such a rea included on both s ides of the r i v e r a l l t h e r i v e r botton and i r r i g a 5 l e areas and a l l those areas on xhich g r av i t y and water from t h e r i v e r could be brou@rk t o grow food and crops, It a l s o included t h e nesa and higher lands extending back not l e s s t'nan 25 m i l e s on both s i de s . The northern or ups t rean l i m i t of the area was approxixately the Black Canyon b e l m Hoover D u n , where Pe t i t i one r ' s ancest ra l neighbors were t h e 1:'alapais on t h e %st m d t h e Paiutes on the West; and the southern or down-strean l i m i t xas approxiol2tely h a l f way be- b e e n the p r e s e ~ t loca t ions of B1ythe, California, and Puna, Arizona, %here Pe t i t i one r 's ancest ra l neighbors were mostly Y u m z s .

Lo The Xohve I ~ d k n s a r e of the Y u a n l i ngu i s t i c f zx i l y . They r . d l

t h e n s e l ~ e s H z n a ~ a v a . Throughout recorded history they have bee2 r e f e r r ed

t o as .Jam-a-jab, h a c z v a , Arnacabo and o t ' k r s hilar k-ores. The Yman lkn-

gu i s t i c farnily includes t he h e c h a n ('r'uma), Lnla, Cocopa, Maricopa,

Halchidhona, Dieseno , Xalapzi, K0h~aXi ad 9avzsupai.

7 Ind, C 1 , Con, a 9 222

5 , ( a ) A g e n e r a descr ipt icn of the v d l e y s d o n g the Colorado 3 ive r

i s helpful i n foxo:-rjng t h e contacts ECP ~ i b h the Mohavf: and other Lndians

i n h i s t o r i c tjx12.s~ The Xchave Valley i s located d o n g t h e Colorado River

between 14ohsve C i ty upstream a d Topock, Arizonn, downstrearno The va l l ey

runs north an3 south , The val ley i s bourxled on t h e e a s t by t h e Black

Mountains. On the west i t is bomded by the Mevberry, the Dezd and the

Sacranexto I:ount.zins, and. on t'ie south by the Monave I-:ountains, Upstream

from the Kohave Valley is Cottonp:od V=l?ey, 3ovmstrezn from t h e Kohave

Valley i s the C 3 e n e h u e ~ Valley ;.&ich is bou-zed by the C:?err.ehuevi Noun-

t a i n s i n the north and t h e Vhipple Hountains in the south, The next valley

south, or do;,nstrem., is t h e "Great Colorado Valle;," so ~ z ~ e d by Lieutenant

Ives , runnb,; fro= about F z k e r , A r i z o ~ a t o neZ Picacho, C a l L f o r ~ k a d in-

cludes some s x l l e r valleys such a s Cibola V a l e y and thz Palo Verde Bd l ey ,

( b ) Other z e a s no t included iri the above d e s c r i ~ t i o n of t h e v d l e y s

of t h e Colorado Ei.ier but vi'iich a r e w i t h ! the area c la i i i i~d by t h e r;oh.,ave

Lndi2n.s and r sn t i oned in h i s t o r i c a l records should a l so be genera l ly de-

sc r ibed herein , They iqclude the Fohave Desert extending rYom the Colorado

River west t o the Sie r r a 3TevaCa range, a d t he Mohzve River T l e y which . .

r i v e r floi-IS f r o n Cajon Pass Ln a nort'ierly d i rec t ion x i t h its t e rn inus at

Soda Lake, The 1 u . 2 ~ c la i red t o have been exclusively in t he possess ioz

of t h e Lohzve B:~E .are located in i;.fiet x e no;.; t 5 e S t a t e s of CSSornFa ,

Arizona a d i\Ieva&,

6 0 Spaqish e,uplorers, of'icizls ad r i issiozaries 5 e - r ~ t h e f i r s t

white men t o con tac t the Eohave i rdians , Cnate, iz 16QL-16CS9 met

Piohave InCi . rn on the ColoraSo ?,i>-er e<t.t:?e- in the Mohave Valley or

7 Ind. C 1 . Con. 219 223

near B i l l Y i l l k m Fork. Farther dopmstrean he encountered more rrembers

of t h i s t r i b e >:horn he ca l l ed h a c a v a s probabl:~ i n the Great Colorado

Valley. Padre Francisco Czrces v i s i t e d t h e Halchidhona i n the Great

Colorado Valley i n 177h. rarces ca l l ed t h e Haichldhona Tribe by the

name of Jalchedunes. I n 1776, Cxces k i t h a Xohave guide went up t he

Colorado River s t a r t i n g from the confluence of the G i l a . Scmexhere near

t h e p resen t day Picacho he met 80 Moh2ves wl -~ rn he c a l l e d Janajabs who

were on t h e i r way to visit t he Yw2s. Traveling on C-rrces kept t o t h e

west s i d e of t h e r i v e r t o skirt the Yalchidhorna xho vere a t war with t h e

Mohsve, Soxexhere n e z the west s ide of the Khipple Mountains Garces

met LO Chenehuevi Iridiars whoa he ca l l ed Chemebet. T k s e Indians t o l d

Garces t h e y were f r i ends of the ?:ol-iive. Gzces repcr ted t he Cherrehuevi

i r h b i t e d . t h e t e r r i t o r y betpreen the Eeneme Indians and t h e Colorado River

a s far n c r t h a s the Yuta (Ute) Nation. Garces a few days l z t e r c ro s sed

t h e Mohave range and arr ived i1 Mohave Valley wnich he s t a t e d conta ined

a b u t 2C00 people. The Spanish P~ci re l a t e r f o l l w ~ e d the Mohave Trade

Route t o t he Paci f ic Coast. Alon;: the wzy he n e t four Mohave r e tu rn ing

from a trading expedition. Xear Mzrl Springs he repor ted t h e B e n e ~ nat ion

began. La t e r Gxces met f ive nore Xobave on the t r a i l coming from zzrr

Gabrie l , Cn h i s r e t m n t r i p on the t r a d e route from t h e Pac i f i c CO~::+~ t o

t h e Colorado River, Garces mentions v i s i t i n g several CherneSet ( C h r-: a - I -

r a n c h e r i a s , The t rade route coimenced 2ust above Seedles, Cal if n?-?", -

t h e n west over through some s p r i ~ s i n the Paiute Range; then t o Xchr.se

7 Ind , C 1 , Con, 219

while a branch c u t off t o the n o r t h e s t t l rough Tehachapi Pass and t h e

San Zoaquin Valley (Pet. Ex, 1, Docket 283, pp. 2-L; Def, ExhiSi ts 2-A,

L, L-A, L-5).

7 . Early i n the 19th century the Mohave were v i s i t e d by d m s

P a t t l e uld. Jedediah Smith .ad other American t rappers , fur trad-s and

mountain men. I n 1826, P a t t i e l e f t the Tuma Indians and. went up t'ne

Colorado from the G i l a confluence on the e a s t s i d e of t he r i v e r . I n the

oma are- Great Colorado Vd ley he found t h e Hzlchidhom (whom he c d l e d Co-

c 0 p ~ r ) . Three days from t h i s meeting t h i l e continuing upstream P a t t i e

a r r i ~ e d 2 t a Kohave v i l l age , probably sonswhere betveen p resen t day

P a r k r and Poston, wnere a f i g h t vzs had x i t h the KotEve 3mo had demanded.

Compensation fo r beaver 'eken i n their t e r r i t o r y . P a t t i e and h i s rcen con-

t i n u e d u p s t r e z ~ %%ere they were at tacked again f our d ays l a t e r , most

p r o b b l y in the Eohave Valley. I n 1820, Jedidiah Smith and h i s men a l s o

v i s z t e d the Hohave, kkom he ca l l ed ".hnuchabasr' and whom he found l i v i r i

i n +Ae M o k ~ e Valley. Smith came dotvmtrem in to t h e Kohve country and

spe~& some 15 days with the t r i b e , Smith then was guided ac ross t h e

Mohzve t r ade route t o t he Paci f ic Cozst by tk-o runaxay Indians from t h e

Spznish f.Iissions, k i o were irrp-isoned when they reached the Mission

S a n Czbrie l by the ofl"icials i n chxrge there . I n the sumer of 1827,

Smith again v i s i t ed t he Mobve but tras attzcked by them a d a nmbe r of

h i s nien 52re k i l l ed by the india-ns. Snitti ar?d h i s pz r ty sCruc k out

a c r o s s t h e hiohave Desert and followed -the t rade rou t e t o the c o a s t ,

h h i l e on the Eohave Rive;. e ight miles u?st;.ea ciourneying west, Smith

encountered two P d u t e lccgas , Yea f3e head of t N s r i v e r he reached

a few lodges of a Shoshonean people c d l e d Ser-anos. (Pe';. EX. P j Docket

205, P e t . . 1 D o c k t 283, pp. s-67; Def. Ekhibi ts 5 , A 6, 6 - 7 ) a

8. I n t h e s p r i z g of 18&, Joh:: C , Fremont w a s r e t u r n i n g f r o n a n

- overland e x p l o r a t i o n of Ca l i fo rn i a . rrernont sought and found the Spanish

T r a i l which he knew would l e a d him t o t h e l a t i t u d e of G r e a t S a l t L a k

and t h e over la rd r o u t e e a s t . This Spanish T r a i l fo l loxed t h e Mohave

R i v e r f o r some d i s t a n c e and w h i l e t r a v e l i n g northeastwardly d o ~ g t h i s

s t r eam or i t s bed, Fremont met a p a r t y o f six Indians. The Ind ians were

arrred 1 5 t h 50~s of unusual l e n g t h and c a r r i e d gourds of x a t e r . One of

t h e I n d i a n s spoke Spanish and he t o l d Fremont t h a t they were Mohave In-

d i a n s . 'he speaker vas f o r ~ e r l y a mission Indian, probably a Ser rano ,

o r V a r y x e , ;ho had r e t u r z e d t o t he mountains a f t e r t h e b reak ing up of

t h e miss ions x k r e he had been found by the F o h v e . This I n d i a n spoke

o f t h e l e a d e r of h i s p a r t y as h i s master a d s t a t e d they l i v e d on t h e

Colorado b u t t h a t former ly a p o r t i o n of them l i v e 6 on t h e Kohave River .

9, I n t h e f a l l of 1851 Czpta in S i tg reaves of t h e Un i t ed S t a t e s

Engineers l e d a p a r t y f r o n New Mexico v e s t t o the Colorado. This p a r t y

c r o s s e d t h e Elack Founta ins i n t o t5e no r the rn end of Kohave Val ley where

t h e y found. the Mohave Ind ians . %hen the Indians beeme h o s t i l e , S J t y e a v e s

noved ou t of t h e Xob2ve Valley through Mohave czryon 2nd dobn t h c '

River. S o ~ e k . e r e i n tk C ~ e a t Colorado Valley n e z ?zr1kr t k y n e c :

b u t r e c e n t l y l oca t ed , s e t t l e x e n t of Indians %no r e? re sen ted t h e m e ;

be Yumas, 1- l i t t l e f u r t h e r da rns t r ezn t h e s e Indians i a t e r a t t a c k ~ c

S i t g r e a v e s pa r ty but were r e p u l s e d by t h e so ld i e r s . For t h e r e n a i n c k r of

t h e tri? t o For t Y Q T ~ no I n d i z r s wsre enccukered ht S~EJIS f4- - ,

s e e n (Def . 5, ?-A; Pet. Ex. 1, D o c k t 233, pp. 68-76).

7 Ind, C l . COX. 219

10. Sitgreaves ' t r i p t o the Colorado ( F i r d i ~ 9) points up the d i s -

appearance f ron t he C ~ e a t Colorzdo Valley of t he Halchidhona Indians, a

Ywnan t r i b e , who were repor ted living t he r e by Carces i n 1776 ane P s t t i e

i n 1826 indi ding 7) . I n abcut t he year 1828, t h e Fohave ck-ove t h e

HalchiChoma from the Colorado River. The Xalchidhoma f l e d eastward

across t he deser t t o escape t he Yma %?no were advancing upst rean f ron

t h e south. The Halchidhoma took refuge wi th the b r i c o p a I n d i m s . The

Kohuana, mother Yumn t r i b e , l iv ing on t h e r i v e r j u s t a k v e t h e Halchid-

homa were not at tacked by t h e Nob2ve. After expel l ing the Hslchidhona, t h e

Mohave r e m i m d i n the Great Colorzdo Valley f o r t h e winter t o s t o p zn.y

Hzlc hicihona r e t u r n and then vent bac k to Xohave Valley t a k i r ~ the s z a l l

Kohuana t r i b e with them by compulsion, The Kohuana r e x i r z d i n the ?Tohave

Valley f o r f i v e years before being ? e m i t t e d t o leave (pet . Ex, 1, Dl&.

283, pp. LO-L3).

11, Lieutenant A, kio k%ipple, on a C-overnment e m l o r a t i o n zr~d sur-

vey 3ourney t o t h e Xest Coast, reached t h e Colorado River from t h e e s t

by t h e Bill. F!'illizm Fork. This party in 18% then vent up t h e Colorado,

s a w seve ra l Xohaves above t 5 e Fork, a d continued on they found somz

2CO Chemeh,uevi i n t h e k va l ley k i t h t he i r v i l l ages mostly on t h e west bulk ,

They proceeded t h o n g h Xohzve Cayon in to t h e Xohve Valley tihere Mohave

xere l i v i n g a d kko f u r ~ i s h e d txo gnides, I r i t e S a and Cairook, I'a guide

then ac ross t h e deser t , l;hipplefs party l e f t t h e Kohave Velley by Paiu te - Wash and s t r d c k i n to the de se r t t cwzd the icier FIohave R i -~e r , .z?d up t h i c

t o Cajon Pass and Sari Bern&-='uino, C n t h i s part of the jomrey thi - t j . m i l s s

from the Colorado River they reached "a pre t ty r i m l e t , which ;-zterec! a

7 Ind. C 1 . Corn. 219

small val ley tS2 t had been converted bg; the mountain Pai-ut.es i n to a

luxur ious gxden." Lhi le i n t h e Che~ehuevi Valley the chief o r head-

man of the Chernehuevi sketched a map of the t r i b e s on the Colorado

River. Upstyem from the Gila confluence t h i s map showed the Yulm on

t h e e a s t s i d e r;l.ost of the way from the Gila River t o the B i l l xilliams

Fork and on t h e west s i d e opposite the mouth of t he Gila; t h e Chemohuevi

on the west s i d e a b v e B i l l Willims Fork; a b v e them t5e Mohave

(A-mac-ha-ves) on t h e ea s t s ide m o r e or l e s s opposite what is Pa iu te

F'ash; and on both s i de s of the V k g i n River a re sho.cm the Paiutes .

Another m p sketched on the ground i n 18L9 by a Y u m chief a d copied

by l 'hipple showed f r o 3 the mouth of the Gila upstrean the fo l lowi r~g

t r i b e s : t h e Yuna z r o u d the mouth 03 the G i l a ; then the Yavapai a b v e

t h e Puma ( ~ o e b e r s t a t e s these vere the western Yavapai "who occasiond7-y

gathered seed from the Yma and planted on the e a s t bank a b v e and below

Picacho"); t he Yuma again i n the Grezt Colorado Valley; then above t h e n

in t h e sane val ley and before reaching the B i l l 1;illians Fork t h e Eohave

and t h e n t h e Che~ehuevi. Above t h e B i l l I f i l lb ins Fork m e t h e Eohave;

t hen t h e Ca-hzul-chitz, the Kohoadje Psiute of Virgin River and l o c a t e d

t o o f a r down on the Colorado, according t o Kroeber (pet. Ex. 1, Dcc k e t

283, pp. 26-27) ; then t he ?kt-hat-e-vatch ("80rthe,rnersn); next t h e

K a l a p a i 2rd the Chexehuevi as the uppernost t r i be . (Def. &hibits 8,

10, 12, 12-A)

12, ( a ) Another e q l o r a t o r y expedition uent up t h e Colorado Fliver

by s t e m S o a t i n 1858, under t h e c o m d of L i e u t e n a t 2 . C . I ve s , I n t h e

7 Ind. C 1 . Ccm. 219

Great Colora6o Valley, Ives reported t h a t "the Ym2 c u l t i v a t e the b e t t e r

port ion . . . . the Yumas have been c o n s t m t l y encountered s i nce we have

been i n t h i s valley," Year the aie Maria and Moon Mountains, Ives wrote,

"A small par ty belonging t o a t r i b e c a l l e d t h e Chenehuevis came irito cznp

t h i s evening. They l i v e i n the va l ley adjoining t h a t which we a r e now

traversing." On reaching t h e head of the &eat Colorado Vd ley , near

Parker, Ives s t a t e d t h a t "The Ywas a r e no longer seen. Our sharp

~.ci.tted f r i ends , t h e Chemehuevis, seen t o have exclusive pcssession of

t he upper end of the valley." Somewhere war the m a t h of the B i l l Williams

Fork two Xob~ve Indians >:ere seen by t h e e q e d i t i o n . I n t h e Chmehuevi

Valley, Ives v i s i t e d and traded with the Cheriehuevi t r i b e and then pro-

ceeded. throuzh t h e 14chave c a y o n t o the Kchave Valley xhere ne t raded

f o r provisions with the Mohave Indians. Ives repor ted t h a t t he "Eohzvss

preserve cors tant f r i ene ly r e l a t i ons with t he Chemehuev;_ and Yumas, and

were a l l i e d wi th t h e l a % t e r i n the a t t a c k upon t he Pimas and I.lsricopas,

last September." Ives fur ther reported "It is sornexhat re=kzble that

these Indians Eohave7 should th r ive so h i l l upon the d i e t t o tjhich t h e y - a r e compelled t o adhere, There is no gaTe i n t he valley. The f i s h are

sczrce and of infer ior quzl i ty . Pney subs i s t almost exclusively upon

beans and corn, with occasional water-mlom 2nd pumpkns, and =e probably

2s f i n e a race , physicany, as there is i r t ~ u i s t e n c e . ~ After l e a v i x t h e

Pohave va l l ey t h e s t e m r prccended t o Co-Ltonwood Valley apstrearn ~;SLich

1W.S repor ted t o be inhzbited by "a few scat tered Mojave f smi l ies . " Mter

- heading upst re= fron Cottomicod TiiLley toxard Slack Cayon, l v e s r epo r t ed

h i s guide I r i b e t a hzd becoce ur,esj . and had wzrnei Ives t h a t "'cad Pai-utesr '

- 7 Ind. C 1 . Ccm. 219 -

were prowling about. Ives c c n t i x e d by s t e m r t o t h e head of Black Canyon

and then by s k i f f through the c~rrgon to i t s foo t . Ives then turned back

and re turned to Fohave Valley &*ere he s p l i t h i s force a d wi th h i s pa r ty

s t ruck eastxard across t h e Bkck Nountains. (Pet . Exhibits G, G-1, (2-2,

D o c k t 295; Pet. !k. 1, Docket 283, pp. 30-3L; Def. Exhibits 16, 16-A)

(b) Another explcra t ion of t h e upper Colorado Fias made i? Jarnary

1858 p r i o r to Ives journey by Lieutenant J. L. T.lhite who v e n t up t h e

Colorado River by s tezqer . kh i te ' s account i s general and not as de-

t a i l e d a s Ive s t repor t . Sone 35' miles up r i v e r from Fort YWE, ::bite

repor ted a ca2yon 32 miles i n length artd here he s t a t e d the "country of

t h e Y a ~ a p a i a or ?paches, begins, next is a v d l e y extending f o r rr.iles;

+ -2 -2 The lo~.:er pa r t cf t h i s val ley i s o c c u ~ i e d by Yuiiz?.~, on b t h s ides ;

t he Chiin.e~-:aywas on t h e Lest and the Lpaches on t h e S a t . I n the upper

p a r t , t h e Xohaves t ake t h e place of the Apaches." White f u r t h e r repor ted

"These statements I have from 1.. Weaver, vho trapped on this r i v e r and

i t s t r i 5 u t ~ i e s ) many y e z s ago." Fihite s t a t ed t he nChimne~7aywas11 occupied

Chemhuevi Vd ley and t he Mohave "slmost exclusively occupied1' t h e Mohzve

Valley and t h a t "The country of the Kuzlyopais begins i n the upper p a r t

of t h i s valley." With regard t o Cottomood Valley, Khite r epo r t ed "Two

f m i l i e s of i4oh~ves i n b b i t t k e lm-er p=t on the Xest . Abve t h e 3 2re

Chimewayxas, and above those zre the Cohualch. Opposite to t he se are t h e

13. Follokirg t h e Treaty of Cuacdupe Yidalgo ( 9 s t a t . 9 2 2 ) i n 1EL8 0

by k5 ich C a g o r n i a was ceded t o the Gnited S ta tes l z g e nunSers of ,

from the e a s t and mid-east began the l o ~ z ove-land. j o u r ~ e y t o C d i f o r n i a .

One of t h e enigrarrt, rou tes took t h e t r a v e l e r s over t h e Colorado River a t

the Gila jum t ion. Eecause of Indian h o s t i l i t i e s , Fort Tuna was es tab-

l i shed a t t h i s point i n 1851 and re-occupied i n 1852 by Major Same1 P.

Heintzelman. Peaceful r e l a t i ons were "eventually r e s t c r ed t r i th in the next

fe:i years with the Yuna t r i b e and the Cocopah Indians who %:ere l oca t ed

downstream toward the mouth of the Colcrado. I n 1858 and 1859, during

t h e pericd o f the so-called "I4ornon F T ~ " t h e Xornon leaders i n Utah,

through t h e i r frierxis t he Las Vegas bad . of Southern Paiute, sought to

t i gh t en t h e i r r e b t i o n s with t h e Mohave and e n l i s t t h e i r aia and support .

%is, i n the judgrreh of t h e o f f i c i a l s of t h e United S ta tes , mzde more

than n e c e s s z z the openirq of t he r i v e r navigat ion i n t h a t d i rec t ion .

Doubtless t h i s hastened t h e commencing of con t ac t with t he Xohave Tr ibe

by o f f i c e r s =d o f f i c i a l s o f t h e United S ta tes , commencing with t h e ex-

p lo ra t ions of Khite a d Ives in 1858 ( F k d i n g 12) and c u 7 h i m t i q i n t h e

m i l i t z r y a c t i ons of C o l o ~ l W i l l i a m H. Bof fmn and Major L. A. Fsmistead

i n January, A y i l and August of 1859. (Pet. Ex. $Billings, Doc lcet 295).

1 . The t h r e a t of Normon influence on t h e Xohave; t he at tacyb on

emigrant wagons crossi,?g. t h e Colorado a t or r i a S e d e ' s C r o s s i z i n t he

Mohave Valley i n 1858 a t t r i h t e d t o t he Pllohave Indians; and t he h o s t i l i t y

shown 5y th Xohve t o Colonel Hoffnar- and his e s c o r t T&O were on a recon-

noisance i n Jaruary 1853 of Xohave country, s e e k i ~ ~ a s i t e f o r a m i l i t s r y -

post near Beale ' s Crossing, a l l $?ere f zc to r s i n the s e n d i ~ g of a s i z ez ' de

mi l i t a ry fo rce i d 0 Xohzve count?. This mi l i t a ry force of c lose t o 600

men proceeded upst;.ea.n from Fort Yurna t o the PIohzve Valley f r o x xhere

7 Ind. 3. 219 23 1

Colonel Zo_'fnan, on A p r i l 2h, 1859, r e p o r t e d t h e Mohve had ag reed t o h i s

terms that they shoul6 o f f e r no oppos i t i on t o t h e e s t ab l i shmen t of p c s t s

and roa* i n am3 t h rocgh the i - country by t h e United S t a t e s a d t h a t t h e

p r o p e r t y znd lives of x h i t e s t r a v e l i n g through t h e i r coun t ry must be s e c m e .

Colonel ' io f fmn a l s o denanded hostages which vere t w n e d over t o t h e m i l i -

tary f o r c e . Colonel S o f f ~ a n soon l e f t Camp Colorado as p o r t Mohave i n

Mohave c o u n t r y tias f i r s t c a l l e d and c ros sed t h e Moh2ve t r a d e r o u t e t o

t h e c c a s t , Mafor L. A, Prmistead r e m a i ~ d a t the pos t on t h e Colorado

w i t h p a r t of t h e c o m n d . Except f o r so= t roub le with t h e Mohave abou t

t h e first of August 1859, which was s e t t l e d by Najor Armistead, t h e 14ohz~e

ab ided by t h e terms set d o ~ n by Colonel Hoffmar, (Pet . Ex. L, D o c k t 295;

Def, Ex, 25; P e t , a, 5-Sil l ings, D c c h t 2?5).

15. Fo1lok;irig t k e Colorado River " q e d i t i o n of 1859 under Co lone l

Hoffman t h e Mo'nzve I n d i a for t h e most p a r t continued t o r e s i d e i n t h e i r

a n c e s t r a l home. I n 1863 Ariz0r.a T e r r i t o r y was e s t a b l i s h e d (12 S t a t , 6LL)

and C h a r l e s D, Poston was n m ~ d Superintenzellt f o r t h e t e r r i t o r y , A f t e r a

c o u n c i l x i t h the c h i e f s of the Xohave, Yavzpai, 1.-alapai a d Chemehcevi i n

186t, P o s t o n recornended t h a t a r e s e r v a t i o n on the Colorado R ive r i n t h e

Grea t Colorado Valley from 3rlft:ay ?end t o Comer Rock of some 75,000 x r e s

be se t a s i d e for t h e Colorado River t r i b e s and fun& be made a v a i l z b l e fcr

an i r r i g z t i n g c a n a l . The r e se rva t ion sas e s t a b l i s h e d by t h e Act of X=ch 3,

1865 (13 Stat . 559). I n 1870, C - e ~ r a L 'zkeaton reported. on ly Xo'mve I;?aiar;s

on t'ne Co lo rado River I n d i m F,eservation, nmber ing about SCO people . T k

G e n e r a l Zur the r r e p o r t e d t h a t " I r e t a b 2 the p r i n c i p z l C'nief a d most of the

I n d i a n s , I fou& disccnfeqted zrd ready t o leave a s soon as t h e >;heat 5'

7 Id. C1. Con. 219 23 2

g e t r i p e i n t h e upper va l le ;~ , they szy t h a t , t h a t country rever did k l o n g

t o them, and t h a t no Ind.ians ever d id g e t a subsistence i n t h a t bottom,

t h e lard is &I a l k a l i , many l o c f i i t i e s being a s white a s Soda Lake.

I r e t a b a k-ho has been connected x i t h t he work s i - x e its incep t ion s s y s t h a t

it w i l l take two more years to fmnisn t h e ditch, and t h a t then t'ney could

not expect t o r a i s e as much as they 20 i n t h i s va l ley p o h a v e v z l l e g ,

and t h a t he is unable t o keep t h e Indiars there .R General Mea ton

f u r t h e r repor ted over 3000 liohaves i n Xohave Valley which "has alxays

been t h e i r home, they do not x i s h t o leave it =z -3 -:." (Def. Ex. 21).

The Fort No'nave Fleservation w a s t r ans fe r red i n 1890 t o t h e Indian se r -

vice f o r a school. Additional lands were added t o the Fo r t Xohave In-

d i a n Reservation by Ekecutive Crders of December 1, 1910, and Feb ruuy 2,

1911 "for t ' le use and occupation of the Fort Mohave and such other

Ind ians a s the Secretary of t h e In t e r i o r may see f i t to s e t t l e thereon.

--- -"- I? (Def. Ex. L3, p. 7 3 C ; Pet. ??x. 0 4 , and 0-5, Docket 295).

16. Doctor Alfred L. Froeber, a qua l i f i ed anthropologist , former

head of the Department of Anthropolcgy a t the University of Ca l i fo rn ia ,

appeared a s a witness fo r the p e t i t i o ~ e r i n Docket 283. Doctor Kroeber

a l s o p r e p z e d a r epo r t w'nich i s p e t i t i o m r s ' Exhibit 1 i n t h e s m e Dcc ket

283. This witness a l so p r e p r e d a map, p e t i t i o x r s ' Exhibi t 283-2, which

shows t r i b a l d i s t r i b u t i o n and bomdaries as d e t e r n i ~ z d by hi?, on the

Colorado River north of t he Gila conri2uence. Doctor -Xroeber t e s t i f i e d

5e commenced h i s s tu6y of t he Eo'mve Indians i n 1?CO. This witr?ess

t e s t i f i e d t h 2 t tine ?lohave were a t r i b e i n t k ~ orthodox sense of t h e

%-ord and bi-e farmers ~ i n z r i l . ~ . I n a d C i t i c ~ to farning, f o r subsisterice

7 Ind, C1. Con. 219 233

on the bottom l a d s of t k e Coloi-ado Xi-~er the Mohave, according to Kroeber,

de?ended secondari ly on the mesquite bean and on f i sh ing . The I.!ohve Val-

ley and the ir;xiediate foothills beyond it k c ! l i t t l e g 2.e and the PIohave,

t he tvitness said, hunted r e n a r k b l y l i t t l e f c r an Indian t r i b e . KroeSer

estimated t h p r obtained 5~ t o 60 per cent of their ex i s tence by famir 'g

and perhaps 25 t o 30 per cent was from the mesquite wi th t h e r e m i n d e r

of t h e i r szlbeistence from other sources, mostly f i s h ( T r . 20-30, D o c k t

283 )

17. Pe t i t i cne r s witness, C o c t ~ r Froeber, i n Docket 283 p e p a r e d

a xap (pe t . Ek. 283-2) i n order to attern$ t o show graphica l ly trhat lands

were exclusively used a d occupied i n about 18L8 by the Xohve Tribe i n

t h e a rea clair?;sd by pe t i t ioners . On the maF, Cottontrood Valley i s desig-

m t e d a s Area 2-P-, Scre ;?ohave l ived i n t h i s a rea but t hey c e r e s o r t of

an i s o l ~ t e d outpost. Area 1 as ma-ked off' on the nap, f i c ebe r considers

t o be t'ne h i s to r i c cc re honeland of t h e P!ohave. This is t h e Xohave Valley.

South cf t h e Xo3xve Valley, Doctor Kroeber b a s c a v e d out a t r i a n g l e - s h a ~ e d

s ec t i on which he has designated Area 3 tkich, includes l ands on b t h s i d e s

of the Colorado iliver i n Chemehevi Valley. Psea 3, according t o t he w i t -

ness, ~ k i l e t r a&t iona l l y Fokve t e r r i t o ry , was i n f i l t r a t e d by Che:~ehuet-i

I n d k x between 1800 (?)-1850. &ea. 3, Doctor Froeber f e l t S e l o ~ g e d t o

t h e Cherne'nuevi Secaise "they f e l t it vas the i r s , ar?d the Xohave a?p=e~:':,~

r e ~ ~ g n i z e d . it, respected the^ r i gh t s t o trade the products xI-iich they ;+ .

w i t h v:?ite e q ~ d i t i o n s , a?parently, t;kt passed through.'" boeber 's Psea

2-1 south of the Chenenuevi Valley i s a t r iangular s e c t i o n on t h e r i v e r

north and west frcm t h e mouth of E i l l 'r:illiams Fcrk. Prea 4-X on 5,:- "

7 Ind. C l . Con, 219

map is loca ted a long bcL? s ides of t i e Colorado Fiver from the l k i p p l e

Fountains and g i l l Killims Fork i n the north t o t he Riverside Xountains

i n the south. ?pea .&-5, gezerally spezkiiig, i s mapped socth of the River-

s ide I'Iountains to a po in t 2ust narth of &enberg x h i l e Area L-C encom-

passes t h e lancls sou th alone the r i v e r from the Maria F!ount2i-?s t o about

the head of C i b l a Valley in t h e south. Areas L-A, h-B and L-C may be

s a id t o be i n t h e Great Colorado Vzlley. Kroeber xas of t h e opinion

t h a t Areas L-B and L-B were Mohave lands while Area L-C was land of the

Yuna. Azea 2-3, sccording t o Kroeber, was 1.Iokve t e r r i t o r y . Doctor

k-oeber, >-inen he v r o t e h i s repor t i n 1953 (Tet. Ex. 283-I), s t a t ed he

believed t he Chezzhuev5. occupation cf lands d o n g t h e Colorado Siver was

only by s u f f e r z r ~ e of Kqe !.lohave 2nd t h a t the EC'aernehuevisf occupation

was t h a t cf sqca t t e r s , " >;hen Coctor Yxoeber t e s t i f i e d , however, he favored

Chexhuevi ownership of Area 3 and explained t h a t o r i g l i d l y he had thought

"it w a s 6 0 4 0 f o r the Kohzves ~ v i t h regzrd t o a r ea 3. I th ink now 60-LO t'ne

other way." (Tr. 75, Eccket 283).

18, Doctor Harold E. Driver, who vas a s soc i a t e professor of an'uhro-

po low a t t h e Cnivers i ty of Indiana, t e s t i f i e d a s a qua l i f i ed expert w i t -

ness f o r defendant, Doctor Driver agreed wit'n Dcctor e o e b e r t h a t t h e

bi.lave l ends iccluded Area 1 (The Mohave Valley), Area 2-A (Cottomood

Valley) md t h e t r i angu la r section, Area 2-3. Defendznt I s v i tness a l s o

a u e e d w i th Doctor &oeSerrs views with r e s p e ~ t LLO krea 3 (Chenehuevi

Valley) k'nic:? kzs f e l t t o belong to the Chenehuevi (Tr. 121, ~ d . 235, i n

D m ket 263) . 50 as betk-een Doctors Criver a d Xroeber the r e a l 6ifr"erence

7 Ind, C1, Ccn, 219 235

of opinion as t o Ian& exclus ivel3 nscd 2nd occz?ied by ';he ;Ichave In-

d i a ? ~ is l i ~ i t e d t o A-eas L-A a d 4-3 in the Grezt Colo~aao Vai ley sou th

of the mouth of the B 5 l l Xilliarrrs Fork zr2 ~ o r t h of a l ine runnix west a ~ d

northwest above EPJ-lhe,

19. The lands ir .beas L-A, 4-B and b-C on pe t i t i one r s r rap, Ex-

h i b i t 1 in Docket 283, were a t one tim the home of the H&Aidhoma Tribe ,

Their t e r r i to ry . in these areas adjoined t h e Colorairo Eiver from j u s t be-

low t h e Mhipple C o u n ~ s and B i l l !.lilliams Fork ia the north t o t he

Palo Verde Kouiitains dznmstrean. A s t o these lazds, Doctor Kroeber t e s -

t i f i e d a s fo l loxs (Tr, 37-38, Docket 253; and see Tr. 53 and 62-6k) ,

%- A - The Chenekevi apparently l a t e r d s o i n f i l t r a t e d Areas

4 , - B a x - C 3u t they m r e not rm off . I%e Ilohave a ~ d Yma, as I ira~re e-lained y e s t e r c q , cozquered, around 1625, this whole t r a c t Zrom the HalchlC.?orne. I-.'k~reva- they inf il- t r a t e ? , wherever they co-:ld not be mr. of f by the Xohave and Puna, the;; >;ere cmsidered, I think, t h e l eg i t k i a t e o m e r s a& s t a r t e d l i t t l e ~ a t c h e s oZ f a r c s there. There is a string of t h e n t h a t has been recorded, Xone of t h i s has been published, b u t I ha-re had access t o tke notes. For iL?stance, I s abe l Kelly, vho ma& a st~ci;. of t he Paiute i n g e n e r c e ~ 5 i ~ g up a s t h e southernost group tjiti: the Chezekuevi -- a d tkey t o l d her of various places :.&ere t h e y had fz rxs . Now, there were a l so Ymz f a r m a d se t t l enen t s , ac2 tha -e were 14ohave farm axd se t t lements , An2 s ince t he Ym.a a d Mohave ciid the congcering and alxays c l a k s i the land, . the Chexhuevi, a?parently never claixed the t e r r i t o r y of 4-A, -E o r -C by any r i gh t o r anc ien t uses . ind f u r t h ~ r n o r e , the Chexehueri confked themelves on ly t o t h e west bank, There i s no record of zny Che~ehuev;_ plu l - t a t i o n on the e a s t s i c e of t h e r i ve r , and whenever the re ua s es tab l i shed 2x2 r e c o s i z e d r igh5 of a t r i b e d o n g 'this river o r along t h e G=, they alwzys bomd both s ides of the r i v e r . The river ELS like Piain s k e e t . There was the hem% of t n e k t e r r i t o r y ,

Noc, the Cknehuevl sneaked doxn =a f i l t e r e d i n i n smll n m b e r s i n i?divIciud f a d i e s f r o m the dese r t a d planted t he r e , but ciid not go across. Tt..e-y n ight cross Kne r i v e r occa s iona? l~ t o 2-t i n the ~ounzairis here, but a l l the p laces t h e y c l a i q a e on the west s i ce orJy, I t h i n k t i a t nems t h e y

7 Lnd. C 1 , Corn. 219 236

were lateconers and scuat ters . So I would ~ i v e t h i s ;.hole t e r - r i t o r y t o the Y u i a and I.iohave, ark the o r ly question is where t o d iv ide b e k e e n Ywa and Xohave.

Doctor Kroeber fu r the r t e s t i f i e d t n a t t h e Ymzs xere l i v i n g in nunbers

a s far up r i ve r a s t o include Area 4--4 but mostly 4-C i n t h e 1850's (Tr.

6L) b u t t h a t many of then l e f t Area 4-d when I r r e t i ba , the llohave chief ,

and some 77 f z n i l i e s of Mohave noved i n t o the area in 1859 from the Mo-

have Valley t o jo in other l~lohave a l ready there. This witness s t a t e d t h e

modern >Iohave have re?eatedly t o l d him t h a t "they aimed the va l l ey d o m

t o a f e v miles below LaPas, which i s the southern linit here of Ir-5, and

t h a t i s F;hy nox I have these -- why I have no hes i t a t ion in givinz Ir-A

and 4-5 t o the Hohave -x- -X- X-." ( r 6). While Doctor Kroeber makes a

po in t of the f a c t that t h e Che~ehuevi l i ved on the west s i d e only in Areas

4-,4, 4-3 and 4-C arid only crossed occasionally to hunt kihich appears t o

~ ~ u e n c e his opinion a s t o t h e i r r i g h t s i n these z e a s it i s t o be noted

t h a t Area 3, the Chenehuevi Valley, he was of the opinion t h a t t h e

Chemhuevi had a b e t t e r ri$t t o t he =ea although the sarne s i t u a t i o n pre-

va i l ed in t!-at region, Doctor Kroeber t e s t i f i e d t h a t he r e a l i z e d t h i s b u t

reached h i s conclusion on the b a s i s of the Chenehuevi having been in Area

3 "longer and somehow the Eohave went a l i t t l e fu r ther i n recognizing their

r i g h t s in there, -2 -x- (Tr, 70 - Docket 283).

20. Doctor Kemeth X, S t e m r t , a q d i f i e d anthropologist , who was

a prol"essor a t k i z o n a S t a t e College, Pe-ce, Arizona, a t t h a t tiire, t e s t i -

fied f o r pe t i t ioners i n Docket 295. I n re fe r r ing t o Doctor Kroeberl s rap

(?etitio.?e_rsr Eui-iibit 2 in Docklt 283), Doctor Ste:.jat agreed with Kroeber's

f ind ings t h a t k e a s 1, 2-A, 2-B, 4-1 and t-3 xere i.!ohavz t e r r i t o r y . Doctor

7 Ind. C 1 . Con. 219 237

Stexzr t 1~2s of t h e o p 3 i o n a d s o test lTied. , hoviever, t h a t Pzea 3 ( ~ h e ~ e -

huevi Va l ley) ard Are= 4-C were Eohave lands r a the r than Cheziehuevi 2rd

Yuma t e ~ i t o r y , r e ~ p ~ i v e l y , a s determined by Doctor Kroeber, p e t i t i o n e r s 1

witness in Docket 283, Stewart t e s t iT ied he bel ieved t he Chenehuevi l:ere

i n Chernehuee Valley (*ea 3 ) and t ke Tuna i n k e a &-C a s ir;;;;ligrants a-~d

a l i a s =d. had no r e a l claim t o these lands (Tr. 49-50, Docket 295)-

This rnitness bel ieved t h e Chenehuevi were in Chemehuevi Val ley by i40have

suf fe rance a~ t h a t t E e Mohave could h v e t o l d them t o move ou t of t he

va l l ey (~r, 75 and 763, With respect t o Areas &-A, 4-B a d b-C, Stewart

t e s t i f i d tbt the Great Colorado V&ley in these areas t ~ a s n o t c o n t i ~ u d l y

inhabited. by any t r i b e b e h e e n 1828 and 1859. He a l s o t e s t i f i e d t t ra t t he

n o v a ~ e n t soa th by t h e C'nenehuevi i n to t he Great Colorado Val-leg the

ncvenent nor th of t h e X u 1 2 i n t o the sane region found then t h e r e a s eni-

g ran t s ad a l i e n s , wit5 t h e permission and a2proval of the 3iohave al though

those t r 5 b e s l i ved p r e t t y m c h wherever they pleased, A s t o K o k v e o>.ner-

s h i p of land, Doctor Stewzrt t e s t i f i e d that i n h i s opinion t h e t e s t of such

ownership, r a t h e r t'nur use uri occupancy, was the exerc i se of doninion

over t5e land by t he Eohzve ( T r . 139). Doctor S t e w a t further t e s t i f i e d

a s t o Areas 4-44 4-B ad &-C: 0

A. I don't th ink we car? de t e -m-e i t by l o o k i i g t o s ee who l i v e s xhere %&cause ~ i 2 have cases o?" Eohaves livi3-g s o u t h of i t &ere n o s t ol then were Pm~as, ?;e have Ynxas l i v i n g north of t h a t . 'ile k"ie Chenehuevi_s scat tered = o u d here 2nd the re . I t h i n k it i s a very complicated s i tua t ion . I thbk t h e ?"act t:ht a ma l i v e s in a par t i cu lz r p a r t of tke Coloredo Vzl ley does not indicz-le o m e n h i p . 1 thin,k the question would b e - well, opiriion i s I am not qui te sure I can p-iit -it i n words in xEz?, you askd t he question. Ey opiqion is, t h a t tiye Kohave conquered t h i s f z r r i t o r y . They took tke r z jo r p a t in it. - 0 They regarded t& t e r r i t o r y a s t ne i r s . LA zqy in t rude r s c a e

7 Ind. C1. Coin. 219 238

in which t i e y d idn ' t %:ant they would run then off . ?hen Y a v a ~ a i p r e t i b g rrioved h i s lohaves dom nos t of the Y m s ~ i e n t back t o Yuma. I think t h e m o r t z - t th ing there is th2.t t h e Eohaves xere i n a pos i t ion t o enforce clai i is t o t h a t t e r r i t o r y . Anybody they didn' t wat there they could move out i n other xords. And t h a t t o me indicates o~mership.

21. ( a ) Pe t i t ioners i n Docket 295' a l so ca l led a s a n expert witness

Doctor John P. Zarrington, a q u d i f i e d ethnologist , who t e s t i f i e d he had

comenced his study of the llohave in 1907 and continued it in te r ix i t t en t ly

to t he present time. Doctor t e s t i f i e d t h a t i n h i s opinion " .

Kohave t e r r i t o r y , with the Wohave VaLley a s i t s center o r core, e-xtended

west t o take in the Mohave River and 1-Iohave Desert; t h a t i t exbended

n o r t h t o t he mouth of Black Canyon on the Colorado Riva- and t o t h e south

t o t he v i c i n i t y of Blythe, ar perhaps to t he Chocolate Mountains and in

t h e e a s t it included t he watershed of t he Colorado River. ( T r . 1C-11,

16, 18, 34, Heaing, B i l l a = s , May 8 and 9, 1956). Docior Ha,vin$on s

t e s t i f i e d it was not possible t o determine def i n i t e l g t he northern bouda -

TJ l i n e of Eohzive t e r r i t o r y except in the v i c in i t y of t h e Colorado River

nor t~as it possible t o determine how f xr west the I-iohave t e r r i t o r y ex-

tended b u t t h a t t h e Mohave did claim the area through which the Ko'nave

t r a d e r o u t e (northern) ran although he could not s2y how far north they claimed

t o own. TO the south of the t race route they claimed the Mohave Desert,

according t o t h i s witness, but he Cid not tbLrk the southern b o u n k r y could

be determined bu t it would be fz t o the south a k ~ e s t of Tarker. (Tr.

36-37, B i l l i n g s ) . Doctor Zzrrington t e s t s i e d there b z s azother Nohave

Trail running west f ron Blythe across the Colorado Desert b u t t h a t t h e s e

t r a d e rou t e s were used merely to pass t h o u $ the a r i d country ( ~ r . 39-

ti, B i l l i n g s ) .

7 Ind. C 1 , Corn. 219 239

(b) With respect t o the Great Colorado Valley, Areas b-A, 4-5 and

4-C on pet i t ioners! Exhibit 2 i? Docket 283, Doctor Hzringkon t e s t i f i e d

t h a t a f t e r the Halc3idhoma were forced out in about 1828 a vacuum was

l e f t in t h a t area with the Mohave a d Y u n a stopping any 0th- I n d i m from

moving i n t o the Great Colorado Valley. This witness t e s t i f i e d t h a t he

was of the opinion that the Mohave owned t h i s val ley because "they claimed

t o own it." The vacuum, Ha-rington s ta ted , was loczted from Parker south

f o r miles. The Y m , the witness observed, occupied the t e r r i t o r y from

the Chocolate Mounta~ins up r iver t o the Blfihe Valley but t h a t t h i s

s t r e t c h was claimed by both the $Iohave and the Yuna and that it wwlld be

d i f f i c u l t t o determine which t r i b e oxned it. North of Blythe and near t o

Parker t h e vacuum area existed hnich Harrington testsied was claimed by

both Mohave a ~ d Y u m (Tr . 7L-77; T r . fi7-l48, Billings). Later Doctor

Harrington t e s t i f i e d tha t t he Y m north of the Chocolate Kountalbs xere

i n the a rea ups t r em jzi the Great Coloracio Valley o i ly because suck pre-

sence has tolerated by the Mohave (Tr. 9 G 9 6 , ~ L l l i n g s ) . Doctor Xzr ing-

ton f u r t h e r t e s t i f i e d t h a t Chemehuevi l i v e d in Areas b-A, 4-B a ~ d 4-C

i n t h e period l8OC-1650 (Tr. 151, Bil l ings) .

22. According t o Mohave mythology or t r ad i t ion the llohme Lndivls in

ancient t i n e s l i ved in what is now LIe Hobave Desert west or" the Colorado

River (~r. 62-52; Pet. Exhibits 2 md 3, Docket 295). PiZLcoLr?, J. ESogers,

archeologis t , in writing of the Indims i n the desert, s ta ted tha t a t one

ti= the re tias a chain of fresh water lakes ir! the v ic in i ty of the g r e a t

Mo'nave Sink (soda Lake) around ~ h i c h tfie Eohave 1ndia-s-lived f o r h ~ n d r e d s

of years. Rogers wro te "the Nohnes held t h i s t e r r i t o r y nore or l e s s

7 Ind. C1. COIL 219

continuously from the tenth t o the s i x t een th century and probably even

e a r l i e r , A t t h e er-d of t h i s period, they withdrev t o j ~ i n the River KO-

haves on t he Colorado, forced out undsubtedly by = i d i t y and by

warfare with Shoshonean migrants, p r i nc ipa l l y Chernehuevi, f r o n t h e north,

I n 1776, C-arces, the Spanish m i s s i o n a ~ and t h e f i r s t European t o c ross

t h e Mohave, found the l a t t e r people i n possession of the region, un-

de s i r ab l e as i t Rogers a l so s t a t e s t h a t a t about the same t i x e Yu-

man people who were inhabiting the a rea a roma Lake Cahuil la which had been

f o r a period a f resh water l ake fed by the Colorado in what i s now t h e

Colorado Desert vere compelled t o move when the > ~ a t e r s of t h e l a k e becaxe

undrinkable obiing t o the concentration of soluble salts and t h a t Lake

Cahui l la is thought t o have disappex-ed completely about 1500 A . D. (I'et,

Ex. 1, Bi l l ings , Docket 295) . These iEEications of f o r z e r h a b i t a t i o n of

t he liohave Desert together with the Xohave use of t h e t r a d e rou tes l e d

Doctor Stewart t o the conclusion t ha t lZohave t e r r i t o r y included the desos t

region, Doctor Barrington t e s t i f i e d t h a t he included the d e s e r t a r e a a s

Mchave lands on t h e reported occupation of the Mohzme River Sink .?ad t h a t

t h e f a c t t ha t thc trade route passed through the de se r t was nore o r l e s s

inc iden t i a l (Tr, 156, 3 i l l i ngs ) . Doctor Elroeber t es t s ied (~r, 73, Docket

283) t h a t t h e deser t lands wXLe "sonetimes c l a i m d by o r a t t r i b u t e d t o

t h e Mohavelt did not in h i s opinion belong t o the Mohve I n d i m s . In Doc-

k e t 35'1 before t h i s Gomission Doctor b o e b e r t e s t i f i e d f o r t h e Chernehuevi -

Tr ibe a ~ d on a map (pet . Ex. 1 iq Docket 351) shotrs a l a r g e p a r t of t h e

Mohave D e s ~ r t a s Cher~hilevi t e r r i t o r y or Serrzno ids.

23. ( a ) The Corrnission finds, based on the f indings of f a c t he re i c

7 Ind, (2, Corn, 219 243-

m a e and t h e record a s a whole, t h a t pe t i t i one r t5e Eohave Tribe, a t t he

t i i i e t h e l a ~ d s of said. t r i b e were acquired by the United S t a t e s , and f o r

m n y years p i o r the re to , exclus ively used and occupied Area 1 (l!ohave I

V d l e y , ) Area 2-2, ( ~ o t t o n v o o d va l l ey ) a d &ea 2-3, a s t he se a reas adjoin-

ing the Colorado River are de l ines ted on Doctor Kroeberls nap, p e t i t i o n e r s t

Exhibi t 2 in Docket 283, ir

( b ) The boundar;: of t h e lznds in Areas 1 and. 2-A coniiined comences

in t h e Black Xountairs z t Mount Perk ins in t h e S ta te of h i z o n a ; thence

sout'nerly alor,g t h e c r e s t of t h e Black Nountains; thence t o t h e Buck

Mountains; thence SOUL? t o Crossrzin Peak in the Kohave Kountains; thence

northwesterly along the c r e s t of the Kohave Mount2ins across t h e Coloracio

River t o t he Sacrar,ento Kountains; thence along tke c r e s t of t he Sacrzmnto

Nounta~irs t o the Dead Homtains; t5ence d o n g the c r e s t of s a i d Dead 1-;our,-

tains t o Nount Xek-berz-y; theme in a northwesterly d i r e c t i o n t o a po in t

on La t i t ude la degrees, 5'0 minutes dkec'dy ea s t of Searchl ight , Nevab;

thence in a d i r ec t line northeasttiardly t o t he place o f beginning a t Komt

Perkins in the Black Eount2ins,

( c ) The boundary of Area 2-B comzences a t Crossnan Peak i n t h e No-

have i.ioun2+i??s; thence in a d i r e c t l i n e in a southeaster ly d i r e c t i o n across

B i l l WiILizqs Fork t o ?1iEerZL Hill; thence i n a direct l i x e westvzrdly t o

t h e nor thzest corn- oY Section 19 of Township 3 North of Range 26 East

in t h e h 3 i ~ ~ l e - - Momtains in the S t a t e of California; thence in a d i r e c t

l i n e nortjeastw23-dly t o t he place of b e g k r i n g a t CroSsmn Peak,

2L. ( a ) The CoiiziLssion fu r ther fincis t h a t the evidence of record does

n o t j u s t12 f f inding t h a t t he Mokiave Tribe e ~ c l u s i ~ e l y used .mi OCCUF~F:?. -

7 Ind, C l . Corn, 219 242

the Mohave Desert a s c la ined by p t i t i o n e r s i n Docket 295. l i h i l e t he Mo-

have Indians used the t r ade rou t e to c ross t he deser t , there i s a l s o evi-

dence of use or occupancy of p a r t s of tne de se r t by Chenehuevi, Paiute ,

Serrano, and other Ind ims &ring h i s t o r i c a d ancient times, The Conmis-

s i on a l so f inds t h a t the isiohave Tribe d i d not exclusively use a d occupy

Areas 3, 44, 4-3 or 4-C. The Ch.mehuevi I n d i z ~ s used and occupkd Area

3, Chemehuevi Valley. I n Areas 4-A, 4-B and 4 4 , Chemehuevi, Yuma, 140-

have and poss ibly Yavapai vere found during the t i n e p r io r t o t h e d a t e

of acquis i t ion of the land by the United Sta tes .

(b) T k r e is no subs tan t ia l evidence of record t o support pe t i -

t i one r s ! motion of 5 , 1957 in Docket 295' t o enlarge t h e xrea c l a k e d

so a s t o i n d u d e large anomts of l a r d both ea s t and xes t of t h e Colorado

River (as s e t fo r th in p e t l S o n e r s t proposed F i r s t hencied P e t i t i o n , f C e d

May 1, 1957). The proposed F i r s t Anended Pe t i t i on does not conform t o t h e

evicience and testimony of record upon xhich t he f indings of f a c t herein

.made a re based,

25. ( a ) No t r e a t y was ever de betveen the United S t a t e s 2nd ths

Mohave Tribe f o r t h e purpose of ektinguishing t h e Ind ian t i t l e in sa id

t r i b e t o the Ian& it exclusively used acd occupied. The lads found

h e r e h t o have been e x c l u s 2 ~ e l y used and occupied by the Nohave ue re lo -

cated i n kinat a r e now the S t a t e s of California, Nevada and

( b ) California Fjas a e t t e d t o t he h i o n by the Act of Septexber 9,

1850 (9 S t a t , 452). on X z c h 3, 1851, the Congress passed ( 9 S t a t , 631)

"An ~ c t ' t o ascer ta in 2nd set tJe t h e p r i n t 5 Land Claim in t h e S t a t e of

California,rl Said a c t reapired a12 persons "clai7L?: larlds in California

7 Ina. C1, Con. 219

by v i r t u e of any r i g h t or t i t l e derived froix t h e Spanish o r Kexican govern-

ment'! t o present then t o a Board of Comnissioners c rea ted by t h a t a c t f o r

confirmation ( ~ e c . 8).

Sect ion 13 of sa id a c t provided: '%- -x- all lands the c l a k to which

s h a l l not have been presented t o t he s a id comnissioners wi thi? txo yea r s . -

a f t e r t h e d a t e of this act, s h a l l be deened, held, 2nd considered as p a r t

o f the pub l ic domain of t h e United S ta tes ; -:- :st, I'

The c l ~ n here asser ted is for l v l d s &or ig ina l ly used and occupied

by t h e PIohave a d was not a claim based u2on o r by v i r t u e o l an-,- r i g h t

o r t i t l e derived from the Spanish o r Kexican governrrent, hence tias no t

requ i red t o be presented f o r confir;;ztion.

By v i r t u e of the g ro-~ i s ions of Section 13 of tkc 1851 Act t h e l r n d s

of the ~ e t i t i o n e r s , described i n F i ~ k i ~ i g 23, becziie p a t of t he p u j l i c

domain of t h e United S ta tes on I k c h 3, 1853.

( c ) The Mohave India t i t l e t o l a d s in irizona. a d Xevada found

by t h i s Corr iss ion t o have been exclusivelj. used a d o c c p i e d by the

Hohavs 'Tri:ze e2.s n o t e x t i i s i s h e d u n t i l s k sequen t to 1853, A s s e t f o r t h

in Tinding 15 herein, SuperintenderibToston of Arizona Te r r i t o ry he ld a

counc i l w i t 5 t h e chiefs of the Lohave and other t r i b e s in 186L a f t e r

k i z o m T z r i t o r y had been s e p x t e d . from New Fie-xico. A t t h i s counci l ,

Pos ton prop.osec se t t ing up a reservation fo r t h e Colorado .River T:r.iSec., 6

In 1865, r.iien Poston F;as T ~ r r i t o r i d Represenktive to Congess he ~ t ~ L s i e -

<- <- a f o r a l l t he one hundred a d txen ty thousend squsre miles,

full of mines and r i c h a ~ o u g h t o p q t he pxbl ic debt of t h e United S ta tes , the; should ahndcn t h a t Te r r i t o ry and conf'iiie themelves t o the elbow in the Coloraio r i v e r , nor more t h a n seventy-f ive thousvld acres. -:- 3:

Following the e s t a b l i s b e n t of t h e Colorado River Reservation by Act of

)larch 3, 1865 (13 S ta t . 559) E n y Mohave Indians zioved on the reserva-

t i o n and f o r a number of years only Nohave Ihciisns were found thsreon.

In 1 8 7 ~ , some SCO Mohave were so s e t t l e d bu t t h e l a r g e r group of t h e

Mohave Fncians remained. in t h e I.;ohave V a e y ( F i n d k g 15) . The s e t t i n g

a s ide of the reservat ion and the acceptance thereof by r e n o v a t h e r e t o

of rang; of t h e Moheve Indians mounted t o a re l inqu is f inmt of la-ids s o

he ld by Indian t i t l e . The United S tz tes , therefore , e x t i n p i s h e d

Ind ian t i t l e t o t h e l d s which t h e Eohave Indians held by exclusive use

a d occxpanc;. i ? ~ -Arizona and Nevada on &.rc>. 3, 1855.

/s/ LOUIS J. O'PLLRR Associate Cormissioner

/s/ %I-!. E. HOLT B s s o c h t e Cornis s iozer