Zuni Indians

Barbara Tedlock

The Amerindians known as the Zuni, Zuñi, or Aashiwi (as they call themselves) number slightly more than 10,000. Their 640-square-mile reservation is located in the valley of a tributary of the Little Colorado River high in the rugged plateau country of western New Mexico. The main village, or Zuni Pueblo, known to its inhabitants as Halona Itiwan'a , “Middle Ant Hill of the World,” is situated on land that has been continuously occupied by them for at least 900 years and legally granted to them by the King of Spain in 1689. Culturally, the Zunis are similar to other Pueblo groups. They have been described as the most traditional and most widely known of all the Southwestern Indian groups. Their social organization is matrilocal, with many exogamous matrilineal clans. The Zuni language is classified by linguists as a separate linguistic stock, called Zunian, which is distinct from the languages spoken ...

Users without subscription are not able to see the full content on this title. Please, subscribe or login to access all content on this website.