San Juan Southern Paiute Indian Reservation, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe

The San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe is the newest federally recognized Indian nation in the State of Arizona. The San Juan Southern Paiute people reside in several distinct communities on the Navajo Reservation, primarily in northern Arizona and southeastern Utah. The largest of these communities is located at Willow Springs, near Tuba City, Arizona. Another is at Paiute Canyon/Navajo Mountain on the Arizona-Utah border.

In March 2000 the tribe signed a settlement treaty with the Navajo Nation giving them approximately 5,400 acres of land. About 5,100 acres are located in the Hidden Springs area of Arizona, which is about 10 miles north of Tuba City. In Utah, the tribe now owns 300 acres in the Paiute Farms area, south of Lake Powell. The settlement must now be approved by Congress. (Gallup Independent, 3/20/2000)

According to the Arizona Commission of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Affairs reported in 2000 that there were 254 enrolled tribe members. U.S. Census data on population, employment, or income are not yet available.

Gaming

The Arizona Republic reported May 2004 that the tribe had signed a gaming compact with the State of Arizona and had also reached an agreement with the Navajo Nation, which would allow them to build a casino about 10 miles west of Flagstaff, in Bellemont, Arizona.