Yavapai

Yavapai are a Native American tribe in Arizona. Historically, the Yavapai – literally “people of the sun” (from enyaeva “sun” + pai “people”) – were divided into four geographical bands that considered themselves separate peoples: the Ɖo:lkabaya, or Western Yavapai; the Yavbe', or Northwestern Yavapai; the Guwevkabaya, or Southeastern Yavapai; and the Wi:pukba, or Northeastern Yavapai - Verde Valley Yavapai. Another Yavapai band, which no longer exists, was the Mađqwadabaya or "Desert People", and was believed to have mixed with the Mojave people and Quechan people. (Several Mohave and Quechan families trace their family history to Yavapai roots.) The Yavapai have much in common with their linguistic relatives to the north, the Havasupai, the Hualapai. Often Yavapai were mistaken as Apache by American settlers, variously being referred to as "Mohave-Apache", "Yuma-Apache", or "Tonto-Apache".