The Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation is a 950-member Native American tribe which calls Central Arizona’s upper Sonoran Desert home. The tribe which once roamed over 12 million acres now owns just 24,000 acres in northeastern Maricopa County 35 miles from Phoenix. The Fort Mc Dowell Yavapai, the “Abaja - the people” are one of three Yavapai tribes in Arizona. The Yavapai are among the Yuman-speaking peoples, which also include the Hualapai, Havasupai, Kumeyaay, Pai Pai, Cocopah and other Southwestern tribes. The Yavapai have lived and worked in Central Arizona for thousands of years.

The reservation is governed by a Tribal Council elected by tribal members pursuant to the Tribe's Constitution. The Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation takes pride in its economic development and the expansion of direct services to meet the changing needs of all tribal members while at he same time preserving traditional values.