When visiting the Grand Canyon it’s impossible to miss the strong Native American influence throughout the canyon’s place names and rim-side architecture. Archeological evidence suggests humans have been living near the Grand Canyon for approximately 10,000 years, but the first signs of life is not year-round establishments. Scientists believe the first groups of people were just passing through the canyon and surrounding area while hunting game and migrating during seasonal changes.
The first significant evidence of year-round inhabitance points to approximately 4,000 years ago when archeologists found several small, split-twig figurines made from willow and cottonwood preserved deep within limestone caves. Before the discovery it was unclear exactly when Native Americans first inhabited the Grand Canyon. During the next several thousand years various Native American tribes lived in and around the canyon