Southwest Native Americans Long Before

Southwest Native Americans

Long before the Spanish had set foot on American soil, Native American tribes had been living a thriving life on the continent. The Pueblo people have gotten their name from the Spanish conquerors most probably because of their houses (which had been named pueblos) and the adobe material used for building them. The Pueblos are organized into several tribes around the Southwest deserts. Unlike all most of the Native Americans that have been chased away from their homes, the Pueblos peacefully lived in their homeland and still live today. (Frances Levine)

The Pueblo history goes back to the time of basket makers, approximately 1000 BC when the nomad tribes of hunters and gatherers had decided to settle down. Some of the first houses ever built by them had been partly belowground.

The original Pueblo villages had been formed as people started to gather into large groups and started to construct more advanced buildings. Being neighbors of the Maya people, the Pueblos began to adopt most of the habits of the more advanced Mayans. By implementing Mayan customs, the Pueblos had had much to earn, as they advanced visibly and started to grow crops settle for farming. Another factor that led to the progress of the Pueblos had been the fact that they had learned how to make pots and they no longer had to deposit their possessions in baskets.

The Pueblos had become rich as a result of their constant advancement and their territory extended further into the continent where they traded various resources. Their building customs had also experienced a lot of progress with the Pueblo's starting to build houses out of stone instead of mud bricks. The Pueblos soon developed remarkable building techniques and also mastered the art of pottery making.

During the early second millennium AD, the Pueblos had left their normal houses built on top of hills and have moved to the hoses named pueblos which were built in caves, on canyons. The reason for their action is not clear, but it is possible that they had moved because of warm weather or because they had been searching for a place where they would be safe from a potential war.

At approximately 1300 AD, the Pueblos have chosen to move from their territory towards New-Mexico and Arizona where other Pueblo tribes had lived. There is much controversy surrounding the topic, as no one actually knows why the Pueblos left their advanced buildings, their crops and farms and all their lifetime possessions. The weather seems to be a decisive factor in the event and it is very probable that the Pueblos could no longer grow crops with the weather having turned to be too dry. A somewhat coincidence is that scientists believe that the ancestors of the Navajo and Ute tribes have entered the former Pueblo territory named the Four Corners area during the period that the Pueblos had left it. Many of the Pueblo tribes from Arizona and New Mexico can be traced until today as they still exist.

With the coming of the Spaniards into America, the Pueblo people's lives became miserable as the new comers did not come in peace. Instead, the Spaniards had been determined to rob the natives of their resources at any cost. There have been several rebellions started by the Pueblos, but the Spaniards had been quick to counter-attack and to re-establish their reign.

One of the 19 Pueblo tribes to have survived is the Zuni tribe and it still exists today as one of the oldest tribes that have succeeded in conserving their customs. The tribe lives in the city of Zuni, New Mexico with some small exceptions of members of the tribe that have chosen to leave their city. One of the main motives for why the tribe has kept its territory for such a long time is that its people did not interfere in battles fought by others. Their neutrality across time has granted them with a long-lasting and strong community.

What is intriguing about the Zuni people is that their language does not resemble any other language of the neighboring Pueblos. Moreover, they are the only people in the world to speak the Zuni language. (Minnesota State University Mankato)

The Pueblo society has usually been ruled in a theocratic manner, with the head of the tribe also being the priest of the tribe. The Zuni community has also been extremely religious and has kept most of its religious traditions to this day. In the Zuni religion, everything in the world is united under one spirit and gods are still present in the lakes of Arizona and New Mexico. (Minnesota State University Mankato)

During a Zuni religious festival the tribe chiefs and the shamans pray together to the gods. Their prayer is intended to praise the gods, which in their turn would give aid to their devoted subjects. The shamans are among the most respected of the Zuni people, as the members of the society often turn to their shamans for direction. The shamans are also considered to have experience in healing wounds and doing medical work generally. Not all the shamans are equal, as there are several stages through which a shaman has to go to in order to reach the highest rank, one that empowers him over all Zuni customs.

A surprising thing is that the Zuni people consider women to be the most important members of the tribe. While the Zuni men provide for all of the necessities for the tribe, the women take care of the tribe's economy and of the trades between the Zunis and other tribes.

The Zuni tribe is a somewhat a mysterious society, as there is not much known about its customs or about its language. One of the things that makes the Zuni special is that they are among the only tribes to have survived all of the wars that took place within their territory.

The Hopi tribe is another Pueblo tribe which has succeeded in standing strong in front of the conquerors. Unlike the Zunis, the Hopis had been under constant attack from the Spaniards which had wanted to take advantage of them. The Hopi territory had been surrounded by Navajo tribes which had also been oppressed by the Spaniards. They were also disadvantaged because of the pressure the Navajos had started to put on them by attacking all neighboring tribes, including the Hopi tribe. The Navajo attack had lasted for approximately three centuries.