Southwestern Native Americans

Where did they live? Native Americans lived in the region that included what is today Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, and Utah.

What tribes settled here? This area had two main tribes that settled here long ago. The Hopi and the Zuni.

How did they live? The Native Americans in this area developed a village way of life. They later became known as the Pueblo Indians. Pueblo means village in Spanish. Their buildings were much like the Anasazi. They were built like apartments that had high rises sitting atop of mesas.

What did they eat? With the village lifestyle they were able to farm like their ancestors (the Anasazi). They grew corn, beans, squash, and cotton.

How were they governed? Men governed the village, but women owned all of the property and passed it down through their daughters.

What were some of the traditions? Men wove cloth and women wove baskets. It was tradition for the men to weave the bridal gown for the son’s future wife and for a female of the bride’s family to weave a basket for the groom.

What was the weather like? The Hopi were in need of rain, therefore they had Kachinas which they hoped would bring rain. They had a dance that they would perform as well in order to bring rain. The Hopi would come from the Kiva (underground chambers) because this is where they believed they came from into the world.

Southwest