Loretta Jackson-Kelly, a Hualapai woman, speaks about her ancestral ties to the Grand Canyon and the importance of the Colorado River to her people. Watch the video ›
Videography by Deidra Peaches, Paper Rocket Productions
View the other videos in the series: Coleen Kaska (Havasupai), Leigh Kuwanwisiwma (Hopi), Nikki Cooley (Navajo), and Jim Enote (Zuni) ›
LORETTA JACKSON-KELLY: My Hualapai name is “Ha’Ka’Ama Baqui,” which means river woman. Our ancestral homelands encompassed 13 to 14 bands of Hualapai people or “Ba’Ja’,” which means "the people." Each band was named after a unique resource within their territory.
The people who lived in Peach Springs was “Hake-Takwi’va,” which means "the springs running together as a source of water."
We are one of the only places where you can access, by dirt road, to the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon.
The Colorado River is called “Ha' Ka-Ama,” and the middle of the river is called “Ha'Yi' Dat' Da.”
What I was taught was that the canyon is a sacred place, and we have to say our prayers in order to be able to coexist and visit here.
