Paayu, the Hopi name for the Little Colorado River, was a year-round source of water, and even when dry, water could be found a few feet below the sand. It supported a variety of plant and animal resources, including beaver, elk, antelope, deer, and waterfowl, important to the diet and rituals of the people who lived here. The inhabitants of Homol'ovi II used the river's floodplain to plant crops and harvest native plants for food, medicinal herbs, and ceremonial use.