The Zuni are an American Indian Pueblo people native to the Zuni River Valley in western New Mexico.
Today, most Zuni people are represented by the Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation in New Mexico, and most reside in the Pueblo of Zuni on the Zuni River, a tributary of the Little Colorado River. In addition to the reservation, the tribe owns trust lands in Catron County, New Mexico, and Apache County, Arizona.
It is believed that the Zuni have inhabited the area for about 4,000 years, practicing agriculture for about a thousand years. The Zuni had long used irrigation to grow maize.
The Zuni people are culturally related to the Mogollon and Ancestral Pueblo peoples, who lived in the deserts of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and southern Colorado for more than two thousand years.
However, the Zuni homeland was sparsely inhabited until the 12th century. The large villages of Heshot Ula, Betatakin, and Kiet Siel were established by 1275, and villages were built on top of mesas by the 13th century. By the end of the 14th century, Zuni people were living in about a dozen pueblos with from 180 to 1,400 rooms, while the Ancestral Pueblo (Anasazi) abandoned their larger settlements for smaller ones, or moved south to the Rio Grande River. The Zuni moved from the eastern part of their territory to the western side, where they built six new villages: Halona, Hawikuh, Kiakima, Matsaki, Kwakina, and Kechipaun.
Contact with Europeans began in 1539 when a Spanish expedition led by Fray Marcos de Niza send an advance party, perhaps to evangelize the Zuna people. The leader of the party was killed. The following year, the Francisco Vásquez de Coronado expedition came with 230 mounted soldiers, 70 foot soldiers, several priests, and some Mexican slaves. Both sides experienced casualties in July 1540, and the Spanish captured the Zuni village of Hawikuh. Coronado continued to the Rio Grande, but several priests and soldiers remained for a couple of years.
Other missions followed, including a mission at Hawikuh in 1629 and another at Halona. Shortly afterward, the Zuni destroyed the missions, killed some of the priests, and then retreated to Doqa Yalanne, where they remained for three years. The Spanish built another mission at Halona in 1643.
Before the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, the Zuni lived in six villages. After the revolt, and until 1692, they took refuge at Dowa Yalanne, built on a more defensible steep mesa.
When the Spanish left, the Zuni relocated to their current location, northwest of Dowa Yalanne. By the end of the 17th century, Halona was the only one of the original six Zuni villages still inhabited.
The Spanish later returned, but the church at Halona was the only one rebuilt. The Spanish focused their activities on the area around the Rio Grande, seemingly giving up hope of conquering the Zuni and other western Pueblo people. By the start of the 19th century, only seven Spanish people lived among the Zuni, and Spanish missionary efforts ended in 1821.
The Zuni Reservation was created by the United States government in 1877, and enlarged in 1883.
The traditional Zuni language is a language isolate with no known relationship to any other American Indian language, although it does include some words from Keresan, Hopi, and Pima, particularly those pertaining to religion.
The Zuni people continue to practice their traditional religion through ceremonies, dances, and a unique belief system centered on the three most powerful deities: Earth Mother, Sun Father, and Moonlight-giving Mother.
The Zuni have long practiced agriculture using irrigation, and have raised livestock. Over time, Zuni people focused less on farming and more on raising sheep and cattle as a means of economic development. Contemporary Zuni also rely on the sale of traditional arts and crafts. Some Zuni people continue to reside in the old-style Pueblos, while others live in modern homes. While their geographic location is isolated, tourists are welcomed conditionally.
The Zuni Tribe was one of the more famous of the American Indian tribes. This category focuses on the Zuni people, the Zuni tribal government, and Zuni enterprises, schools, medical facilities, organizations, activities, and events. Businesses operated by Zuni individuals would also be appropriate for this category.
Recommended Resources
A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center
Established in 1992, the Pueblo of Zuni tribal program serves the Zuni community with programs and exhibitions that help them to reflect on their past and are relevant to current and future interests. The museum's history, staff, film presentations, activities and events, permanent and temporary exhibitions and collections, collaborations, and announcements are published on the site, along with it street and mailing addresses, telephone number, email, and a map showing its location.
http://www.ashiwi-museum.org/
The Zuni Indian Reservation is the homeland of the Zuni Tribe of Pueblo Indians, known as A:shiwi. The largest community on the reservation is Zuni Pueblo, which is its seat of government. Other communities include Black Rock and Pescado, as well as the Hawikuh Ruins, an ancient Zuni pueblo that has been abandoned since 1680. The site posts governmental and departmental contacts, along with career opportunities, information on RFPs or bids, and a calendar of events.
http://www.ashiwi.org/
Shiwi Ts'ana Elementary School
Shiwi T'sana Elementary School, which replaced the A: Shiwi and Dowa Yalanne schools in 2016, is a K-5th grade public school in the Zuni Public School District. Its address and location are shown on a map, and its telephone and fax numbers are posted on the site. Other resources include statements of its mission, philosophy, and core values, an introduction to the principal and staff, curricula, a student handbook, a school calendar, parent information, and a staff directory.
https://ste.zpsd.org/
Serving the Zuni community for more than a century, the school is open to students of all religious persuasions, and the majority of its staff are Zuni people. An overview of the school is provided, along with a photo gallery, news, announcements, and contacts for the school and Indian missions, including an online contact form. Sunday Mass is also offered and live-streamed from the church at Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico. A newsletter is available upon request.
https://stanthonyzuni.org/
Serving students in grades 7-12, Twin Buttes Cyber Academy is an online alternative to the traditional comprehensive high school experience. Based in Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico, the school is designed to prepare students for success in the workplace or to move on to post-secondary education, while encouraging positive contributions to the community. Parents and student resources are featured on the website, along with a staff directory, school news, and a school calendar.
https://tbca.zpsd.org/
Zuni Christian Reformed Mission
The Zuni Christian Mission School and Zuni Christian Reformed Church were under the administrative control of the Christian Reformed Board of Home Missions until 1992, when they became self-governing mission churches and schools. The church and school work together to provide outreach to the Zuni people from their shared facilities in Zuni Pueblo. Church schedules and contacts are presented, along with school enrollment information, staff contacts, and school schedules.
https://www.zunichristianmission.org/
ZHS is a public high school in Black Rock, New Mexico, with a Zuni Pueblo postal address. Part of the Zuni Public School District, the grade 9-12 high school serves students in sections of Cibola County and McKinley County, including Zuni Pueblo and Black Rock. Previously part of Gallup-McKinley County Schools, it came under the Zuni Public School District after the Zuni Pueblo community decided to form its own school district. Schedules, bus routes, and contacts are posted.
https://zhs.zpsd.org/
ZHA was created to provide safe, affordable, and professional housing services to tribal and community members on the Zuni Pueblo Reservation in Zuni, New Mexico. The agency manages tribal housing programs, offers community announcements, and collaborates with other state and federal departments. Its mission statement and services are defined here, along with its address, telephone numbers, fax number, and employment opportunities. Payments may be made online.
https://www.pozha.org/
The district, headquartered in Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico, serves sections of Cibola County and McKinley County, including Zuni Pueblo and Black Rock. Founded in 1980, ZPSD was the first tribally controlled public school system in the United States. Its schools include Shiwi Ts'ana Elementary School, Zuni Middle School, Twin Buttes Cyber Academy, and Zuni High School. The district's profile is offered, including staff information, resources for parents and students, and contact data.
https://www.zpsd.org/
Zuni Pueblo was designated a MainStreet Community in 2012 by Main Street America, a national sustainable development program originally designed to enact the goals of UN Agenda 21. In New Mexico, MainStreet assists affiliated organizations in creating an economically viable business environment while preserving cultural and historic resources. Visitor information, project reports, and volunteer opportunities are posted, and its board of directors are listed.
http://zunipueblomainstreet.org/
