What is piipash?

The Piipash or Pee Posh are a Native American people who traditionally lived in the Sonoran Desert regions of what is now southern Arizona and northern Mexico. They are part of the Yuman language family and are closely related to the Maricopa people.

The Piipash once inhabited the Gila River Valley, where they practiced agriculture and relied on the river for their livelihood. They also hunted and gathered wild plants in the surrounding desert.

With the arrival of European settlers in the 19th century, the Piipash were displaced from their traditional lands and suffered a decline in population due to disease and warfare. Today, many Piipash people live on the Gila River Indian Community reservation and have developed a strong cultural identity through language, traditional arts, and ceremonies.