The Zuni are a group of Pueblo Indians who originally lived in seven villages on the north bank of the Zuni River in what is now western New Mexico. They were probably descended from the Anasazi, who developed one the great prehistoric Indian cultures of the American Southwest.

Society and culture

The Zuni were one of several peoples whom 16th-century Spaniards called by the name of Pueblo, which is the Spanish word for “town.” All the Pueblo built large, multistoried houses from stone or clay bricks. They also shared many customs. The Zuni, however, spoke a language very different from the other Pueblo groups.

Like the other Pueblo, the Zuni were settled farmers. Near their villages they planted fields of corn (maize), squash, beans, and sunflowers. They also fished and hunted deer, antelope, and other game animals.

The Zuni were divided into several clans. Each clan had certain responsibilities, including organizing religious ceremonies. Much of the Zuni's religious life revolved around guardian spirits called kachinas. During some ceremonies men wore elaborate masks and costumes to represent different kachinas. The Zuni also made kachina dolls to teach their children about these spirits.

History

The first non-Indian to arrive in the Zuni's lands was Estéban, a black Moroccan traveling with the gold-seeking Spanish friar Marcos de Niza. In 1539 Niza came from Mexico in search of the Seven Cities of Cibola, famed cities of great wealth did not actually exist. When Niza reached the Zuni village of Hawikuh, he sent Estéban ahead to meet the people there. Fearing an invasion, the Zuni killed Estéban. Niza retreated to Mexico, where he announced he had found Cibola.

In 1540 the Spanish explorer Francisco de Coronado led a large party of soldiers into Hawikuh and took the village by force. After finding no gold there, Coronado and his men moved on. Over the next century other Spanish explorers arrived in Zuni territory. In 1629 priests established a mission at Hawikuh. Three years later, however, the Zuni attacked and killed the missionaries there.

In 1680 the Zuni joined other Pueblo in an uprising that drove the Spanish from their territory for 12 years. After the Pueblo Rebellion, all of the Zuni settled in the village of Halona, now the site of Zuni Pueblo. The territory passed into Mexican hands early in the 19th century and became part of the United States in 1848. The United States government named the area the Zuni Reservation in 1877.

Some Zuni make a living by selling traditional arts and crafts. The Zuni are particularly known for their silver and turquoise jewelry and stone fetishes, which are small sculptures in the shape of animals. They operate their own schools, where students are taught about Zuni history, culture, and language.

With a rapidly growing population, the Zuni have pursued land claims and water rights. In the late 20th century the population of Zuni Pueblo was about 8,000.