Pima Indians
Pima Indians, a tribe of the Piman division of the Uto-Aztecan language family. They are closely related to the Papago Indians. In prehistoric times, they settled in the valleys of the Gila and Salt rivers, near what is now Phoenix, Arizona. The Pima were primarily an agricultural people. They numbered about 2,500 in the late 18th century, when first encountered by European explorers. In the early 19th century, the Pima were joined by the Maricopa Indians. They fought against their traditional enemies, the warlike Apache, Yuma, and Mojave. Reservations were established on the Gila River and on the Salt River in the 1870's. About 12,000 Pima and Maricopa live on these reservations today.