Zuņi
people
Zuņi
(people), tribe of Native Americans who live in a pueblo
on the Zuņi Reservation near Zuni, New Mexico.
The
Zuņi constitute a distinct linguistic family. In physical
appearance, culture, and social organization they closely
resemble other town-dwelling Native Americans such as the
Hopi. Like them, the Zuņi are noted
for their weaving, basketry, and pottery making, as well
as for their turquoise jewelry. They farm the arid soil
of the region using traditional irrigation methods.
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Pottery
making is an old and respected tradition among the Zuņi
people of North America. This storage jar was made in
the early 1900s. It was made using the "coil" method,
in which long, thin coils of clay are formed around
a flat, circular base and built up to create the shape
of the jar, then smoothed and glazed. The white background
with black and brown geometric designs is characteristic
of Zuņi pottery.
Jerry Jacka
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The
Zuņi have a strong attachment to ancient religious rituals,
which are tied closely to the changing seasons and include
special devotion to the rain god. A tightly organized priest
caste exercises great power over the tribe.
Present-day
Zuņi are descended from the inhabitants of the seven Zuņi
towns discovered in 1539 by the Franciscan missionary Marcos
de Niza and called by the Spanish the Seven Cities of Cíbola.
Although he had only seen one of the villages from a distance,
de Niza reported that the Zuņi possessed fabulous riches,
and in 1540 the Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado
led an expedition against the Seven Cities. He conquered
the Zuņi but found no treasure. Although a Christian mission
was established among them in 1629, the Zuņi clung to their
traditional religion. In 1680, when they numbered about
2500, the Zuņi joined the successful Pueblo uprising against
the Spanish, who subjugated them again in 1692.
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See also Pueblo -
"Zuņi
(people)," MicrosoftŽ EncartaŽ Online Encyclopedia 2000
http://encarta.msn.com
Š 1997-2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
