Most residents leave and enter the canyon by helicopter. It's a five-minute ride from Hilltop to the landing field next to the cafe.

Tourism provides the main economic base for tribal members, with jobs in various tribal-run enterprises like the lodge, tourist office, cafe and grocery store.

Federal programs, such as housing projects and the clinic, provide most of the jobs. A resident doctor, supplied by the military, provides both outpatient and emergency services. If an emergency occurs, a helicopter from the Arizona Department of Public Safety can be dispatched to lift someone out of the canyon.

Church services are also available in the canyon. A non-denominational church hosts several meetings throughout the week.

In February, the LDS Church opened a branch in Supai, where a missionary couple is serving for a year.

Elder Frank and Sister Patricia Jasper are finding the climate quite different from their home town of Anchorage, Alaska. "We were shocked when we opened our call," Sister Jasper said.

They are the first LDS missionaries to be stationed in the canyon in more than 20 years.

Tiny Hanna was among the first baptized members of the church in the early 1970s. He was baptized in Havasu Creek. There are some 60 baptized members within the tribe.

While life is normally tranquil in the canyon, outside influences have taken their toll.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs provides two officers to the village. There is also a jail and a court.

The town of Supai has outlawed the possession of alcohol, drugs and firearms. However, these influences still make their way to the village of Supai.

Many residents say the problem does not stem from outsiders but the residents themselves — members who leave and later return to the reservation bringing in drugs and alcohol.

Just last May, Japanese tourist Tomomi Hanamure, 34, was stabbed 29 times and left near Navajo Falls. One person of interest, a Havasupai in his late teens, was taken into custody on another charge.

The Havasupai, like many tribes, are suspicious of outsiders and especially the media. They know, however, that they must reach out to tourists around the world to preserve their tourism economy, which is estimated to be in the neighborhood of $2.5 million a year.

Hanna, like many others, left for a time. The Bureau of Indian Affairs got him a job working as a stone mason in Park City.

He traveled throughout northern Utah and some of Idaho but came back after two years. Every now and again, he itches to see city lights and travels to Flagstaff.

But in the end, the same magical draw that brings outsiders to the blue-green waters, brings residents back home seeking solace from the outside world.

"Home is here for me," Hanna said. "It is a unique place. It is my everyday back yard."

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