According to their teachings, the Colorado River was created by Mutavilya, the Mojave spirit who placed the plants and animals and instructed Pipa Aha Macav in the arts of civilization. When the Spaniards encountered them, the Mojaves were prosperous farmers who had established villages and developed trade routes that stretched to the Pacific Ocean. One hundred years later, as the American frontier was opened, the Pipa Aha Macav resisted the military wagon trains and American migrants who crossed the Colorado River on the California Trail. They defended their rugged homeland, the Basin and Range southern deserts. The intruders responded by establishing Fort Mojave in 1859, putting it on the east bank of the Colorado River.
Today ruins of the fort and old boarding school, which was built later, are visible.
They have not been restored. Recreational opportunities, affordable housing and desert scenery and climate make the Mojave Valley a center for tourists and retirees. The major attraction is the Colorado River, which flows for 17 miles through the reservation. Calif. Along the way, the river supports a plethora of water-based activities such as fishing, water skiing and jetboating. East of the reservation, the Black Mountain Range provides more outdoor opportunities including off-roading, hiking, photography, rock hounding and ghost town exploring.