Native Americans of the Southwest
The Native American peoples of the Southwest lived in the areas we now call Arizona, New Mexico and Southern Colorado.
The four major tribes living in that area were the Apache, Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi.
The Navajo
Dineh (The People)
The Navajo people live in the Four Corners area of Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.
Shelter
The Navaho hogan is made of a framework of poles. After the framework has been laid, it is then plastered with red dirt. There is an opening in the ceiling for smoke to escape and light to enter. There are 2 main types of hogans. The male hogan is pointed at the top and has 2 legs. It is built to withstand storms and wind. The female hogan has a more rounded top. It is where families cook and live.
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The Male Hogan
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Additional Navajo Websites
Navajo ResourcesThis is an excellent resource!
Navajo Code Talkers During World War II
Navajo Blanket Weaving
Basic Navajo Information
Navajo Literature
The Apache
Inde or Nde (The People)
The Apache people were in four main groups. These groups were:
and San Carlos Apache who lived in Eastern Arizona.
Chiricahua Apache who lived in the areas of Southwestern New Mexico, Southeastern Arizona, and parts of Mexico.
Mescalero Apache who lived East of the Rio Grande River west to the Pecos River.
Jicarillo Apache who lived in Southeastern Colorado, Northern New Mexico, and Northwest Texas
Two famous Apache were:
Shelter
The homes of the Apache were called Wickiups. They are built by making a circle of small tree poles and tying the tips together at the top. This frame is then covered with grasses found in the area. The grasses are held in place with strings made of yucca leaves. The doors to the home would be covered with a blanket.
Websites which tell about the Apache and their lifestyle are:
Shelter
The homes of the Zuni are unusual in that they are built of stone or pieces of stone which are plastered together with clay. The roofs of the buildings are constructed of pine logs which have been stripped of the bark and formed into a frame. The frame is then covered with brush. Ladders, which are made of pine logs, are used to get to the rooms on the top. Steps have also been carved out of the hillside.
The pueblo consists of many rooms--sometimes as many as a hundred or more. Each family would have it's own apartment in the pueblo. The apartment belongs to the women of the family, even though it was made by the men.
In each pueblo, there are round, circular areas into which the men and boys descend for their religious ceremonies. The women are not allowed in here.
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The Zuni Pueblo| The Zuni Kiva |
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Websites which tell about the Zuni Indians are:
The Hopi
Hisatsinom (People of Long Ago)
The Hopi Indians live in the Four Corners area of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. They have lived in this region since 700 AD. They are mainly an agricultural people and raise their crops at the foot of the 3 mesas they inhabit.
The Hopi peoples have an active religious life. They believe in Kachinas which are the spirit nature of everything in the world. The Hopi have ceremonial dances in which the men dress in masks and costumes believed to look like the Kachina.
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A Kachina Dancer| A Kachina |
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Shelter
The Hopi people first lived in villages of pit houses. They then moved to the mesas for protection and lived in pueblos there.
The Hopi also had their worship ceremonies in special rooms called kivas.
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The Hopi Pueblo| The Hopi Kiva |
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Websites which tell about the Hopi Indians are:
