Portal:Arizona/Selected Article/10

Yavapai (sometimes translated as mouthy, or talkative people, but generally translated as the sun people because they worshipped the sun, though many agree that it is a corruption of the Yuman word "Nyavkopai" - east people is an over-arching term for four distinct tribes of Native Americans from central Arizona in the United States. The Western Yavapai call themselves Tolkepaya, the Northeastern Yavapai call themselves Yavapé, the Southeastern Yavapai call themselves Kwevkepaya, and the fourth group call themselves Wipukepa. The Yavapai have much in common, linguistically and culturally, with their neighbors the Havasupai, the Hualapai, and the Athabascan Apache. Often, Yavapai were mistaken as Apache by White settlers, variously being referred to as "Apache-Mohave" or "Tonto-Apache". Before the 1860s, when White settlers began exploring for gold in the area, the Yavapai occupied an area of approximately 20,000 mi² (51800 km²) bordering the San Francisco Peaks on the north, the Pinal Mountains on the east, and Martinez Lake and the Colorado River at the point where Lake Havasu is now on the west.