Who Are the Mojave?
The Mojave (Mohave, 'Aha Makhav meaning "people who live along the water") are a Native American people originally inhabiting the Colorado River valley in present-day California, Arizona, and Nevada. Today approximately 3,000 tribal members are enrolled in the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe (on a reservation spanning Arizona, California, and Nevada) and the Colorado River Indian Tribes (which also includes Chemehuevi, Hopi, and Navajo members). They speak Mojave, a Yuman language. The Mojave were the most powerful and numerous Colorado River tribe, known as fierce warriors, skilled farmers exploiting river flooding, and keepers of elaborate dream traditions. The Mojave Desert, though named after them, was not their primary territory—they were river people.
River Agriculture
Traditional Mojave life centered on the Colorado River's annual flooding cycle. Like the Nile, the Colorado flooded in spring/summer, depositing rich silt on the floodplain. The Mojave planted corn, beans, squash, and melons in the moist silt as waters receded—no irrigation was needed. This flood-retreat agriculture supported a substantial population. Mesquite beans and fish supplemented farmed foods. Settlement was dispersed along the river rather than in concentrated villages. The Mojave were among the tallest Native Americans, noted by Spanish observers. The river also provided transportation—the Mojave built rafts and used gourds as flotation devices. This river-based economy ended when upstream dams (particularly Hoover Dam, 1936) eliminated annual flooding, fundamentally disrupting traditional subsistence.
Dreams and Warfare
Mojave culture placed extraordinary emphasis on dreams as sources of power and knowledge. Everything of importance—songs, curing abilities, oratory, war luck, craft skills—came through dreams, often dreamed before birth. Great dreamers held high status. This dream culture produced elaborate oral literature: song cycles taking hours or days to perform, recounting mythological journeys and ancestral events. The Mojave were renowned warriors, frequently fighting the Maricopa, Pima, and other tribes. War parties traveled long distances to attack enemies. Warfare was partly for honor and partly territorial. Warriors bore distinctive facial tattoos and painted bodies; they carried mesquite-wood clubs and bows. The Mojave maintained trails across the desert used for trade and war, including routes to the Pacific coast. Spanish and American observers found the Mojave formidable opponents.
Contemporary Mojave
Modern Mojave are divided between two reservations. The Fort Mojave Reservation (across Arizona, California, and Nevada) retains the tribe's Colorado River homeland. The Colorado River Indian Tribes reservation (established 1865) was later opened to other relocated tribes. Dam-controlled river flow ended traditional agriculture; modern reservation economies include gaming, agriculture (with irrigation), and development of riverside land. Water rights remain critical as Colorado River allocation is perpetually contested. The Mojave language is endangered—most fluent speakers are elderly, though revitalization programs exist. Traditional dream knowledge has declined but cultural practices continue. Mojave runners maintain traditional long-distance running, participating in modern events that echo ancestral messenger traditions. The Mojave represent the Colorado River's indigenous heritage, now navigating between traditional identity and modern economic development in one of America's most water-stressed regions.
References
- Kroeber, A. L. (1925). Handbook of the Indians of California
- Stewart, K. M. (1983). Mohave Indians: Culture and Environment
- Sherer, L. (1965). The Clan System of the Fort Mojave Indians