Pima Indian Agency (Arizona): Difference between revisions

The Pima Indian Agency, located in Sacaton, Arizona is the administrative office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs on the [[Gila_River_Indian_Reservation_(Arizona)|Gila River Indian Reservation]]. Its current supervising field office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs is the [[Area Offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs|Phoenix Area Office]].  

[[Pima_Indians|Pima]]

The original Pima Agency was established in 1859 with the appointment of a special agent who was an employee of the Overland Mail Company. That company desired to maintain good relationships with the Pima and [[Salt_River_Pima-Maricopa_Indian_Community_(Arizona)|Maricopa]] Indians so they could run mail through their lands. The agent resigned in 1860 and was not replaced.  

The Pima and Maricopa Indians were with the area for which the [[Tucson_Indian_Agency_(Arizona)|Tucson Agency]] was responsible, so with the resignation of the agent in 1860, the Tucson Agency again was the sole agency over the Pima and Maricopa. From 1861 to 1863, Confederate troops occupied Arizona and the Tucson Agency was abandoned. In 1865, the Pima and Maricopa were assigned to the [[Pima,_Papago_and_Maricopa_Indian_Agency_(Arizona)|Pima, Papago, and Maricopa Agency]], known later as the [[Gila_River_Indian_Agency_(Arizona)|Gila River Agency]], and after 1875 as the Pima Agency<ref>Hill, Edward E. ''The Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-1880: Historical Sketches''. New York, New York: Clearwater Publishing Company, Inc., 1974, p. 137.</ref>.  

In 1902, a separate [[Papago_Indian_Agency_(Arizona)|Papago Agency]] was established for the Papago who lived on the [[San_Xavier_Indian_Reservation_(Arizona)|San Xavier Reservation]]. That reservation was expanded in 1917 and the Pima lost more of the area for which they had been responsible. The Salt River Reservation of Pima Indians was transferred to [[Camp_McDowell_Indian_Agency_(Arizona)|Camp McDowell Agency]] in 1910. In 1934, both the [[Salt_River_Indian_Agency_(Arizona)|Salt River]] and Camp McDowell Agencies were transferred back to the Pima Agency. At the same time, the remaining groups of Papago Indians were transferred to the Papago Agency<ref>Hill, Edward E. (comp.). ''Guide to Records in the National Archives of the United States Relating to American Indians''. Washington DC: National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration, 1981, pp. 173-175.</ref>.