By Cyrus Guccione
Mail

On a recent Thursday afternoon, Yavapai Nation tourists hopped off a bus at the River of Time Museum with smiles after spending a busy morning exploring the nearby Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation (FMYN).

As the summer heat approaches, the FMYN tours are coming to a close, offering interested participants a select few slots left to tour the nearby reservation with the final tour set for Thursday, April 11. The tours are expected to return in November.

Sponsored by the River of Time Museum and Exploration Center, the FMYN tours offer participants a guided experience with stops at the FMYN Cultural Center, H’man S’hwa preschool, an interpretive drive through the cemetery and a stop at the expansive pecan and citrus groves.

The 52,000-pecan tree farm run by Harold Baines is a “Class A Operation” according to River of Time Executive Director Cheri Koss who has compiled a team of six volunteers to join the tour to ensure the participants have the best possible experience.

This particular Thursday, FMYN volunteers MJ Gallagher and Lee Petersen were on duty.

“Harold explains things in a way that the non-farming public can understand,” said Gallagher, adding that Baines’ demeanor and banter add a fun and educational component to the tour, not to mention his knee-slapping jokes.

Witnessing the tree farm was Rio Verde resident Jean Olson’s favorite part of the tour who perused the museum’s gift shop following the morning’s activities.

Originally from Minnesota, Olson said Baines was an excellent speaker who gives participants the chance to ask questions.

The tour guide is FMYN Cultural Center Coordinator Clissene Lewis who has deep roots in the Verde Valley, guiding participants through the arduous lives of the early Yavapai who fought to keep their land at Fort McDowell.

The tour covers the Yavapai origin story through the 1992 standoff with federal agents at the tribal bingo hall that resulted in the successful resistance of the Yavapai people against the construction of the Orme Dam on the Verde River.

The Orme Dam Victory Days is now celebrated annually in November by the Yavapai, bringing tribal members and visitors together to honor their heritage.

“(Lewis) was very honest about Indian history and how the government has treated them,” said Olson, who heard about the tour from her local newsletter, the Rio Verde Roadrunner.

Following the tour, Lewis, Gallagher, Petersen and Koss get together and recap the day’s events; what went well and what could be improved.

Gallagher and Petersen agree the addition of a loudspeaker in the bus has greatly improved the listening experience for tourists. The full lunch provided by the award-winning Ahnala Restaurant at We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort is well-received and offers a nice conclusion to the tour.

In these brief meetings, the FMYN tours take on a new shape with every new outing, offering participants an unforgettable experience, Koss says.

Overall, Lewis seems to get top billing when participants are asked about their favorite part of their tour.

“Our guide Clissene had a wealth of knowledge,” Jeannie Rotner said, a Tonto Verde resident who attended the tour for the first time with her husband John Rotner. “I taught school here in Arizona and I learned more than what I taught.”

Lewis studied American Indian Studies at Arizona State University and earned her tribal government certification from Scottsdale Community College.

“To have a person from the Nation explain the history with firsthand stories is priceless,” Gallagher said. “It’s an opportunity that just isn’t available elsewhere.”

For more information or to attend the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation Tours, visit riveroftime.center, call 480-837-2612 or visit the River of Time Museum in person Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

We invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Cyrus Guccione can be reached at cguccione@iniusa.org.