Ak-Chin Indian Community - Arizona (U.S.)

Native American

Last modified: 2012-11-17 by rick wyatt
Keywords: ak-chin indian community | native american | arizona |
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image by Donald Healy, 21 December 2007

• The band
• The flag

See also:

• Index to North American Native Bands and Nations
• Arizona
• United States of America

The Band

map image by Peter Orenski based on input from Don Healy

Ak-Chin Indian Community (Tohono O'odham & Pima) - Arizona

The Tohono O'odham, "Desert People", and the Pima, "River People", share a 22,000-acre reservation in southern Arizona located between the two main reservations of those Tribes. The main Tohono O'odham lands are on the Tohono O'odham Reservation to the south. The main concentration of the Pima is to the north on the lands of the Gila River Indian Community. These two small Tribes, numbering 405 in 1990, function as a single entity within the Ak-Chin community. In 1962 they adopted a tribal seal designed by Wilbert "Buddy" Carlyle and drawn by Sylvester Smith.

© Donald Healy 2008

The Flag

The seal's symbols speak of the ideals on which the Ak-Chin community is based. An arrow symbolizes the Ak-Chin people as a community of Native Americans. A pair of scales balanced on the arrow represents equality and justice. A red rising sun tells of the Ak-Chin's belief in a brighter tomorrow while crossed lightning bolts show the inspiration and energy of the Ak-Chin to uphold the ideals of their community. These elements appear on a white circle along with the tribal motto "EQUALITY FOR ALL" above the symbols and "FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW", below. A wide black band surrounds the circle with the official tribal name, "AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY", across the top in white and "ARIZONA" in white on the bottom. Two small white stars represent the two Nations and separate "ARIZONA" from the rest of the legend.

All elements appear in black on both the seal and flag except for the rising sun, which is red on the flag and black on the seal. When used as part of the flag, the seal is set on a plain white background. The flag was adopted in 1987 on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the tribal seal.

© Donald Healy 2008
information provided by Peter Orenski, 21 December 2007