Pueblo people

The Pueblo People are a group of Native Americans who live in New Mexico and in Arizona. When first encountered by the Spanish in the 1500s they were living in adobe and stonework towns, mainly in the Rio Grande valley and thus were called "Pueblos," pueblo being the Spanish word for town. About 25 pueblos exist today, Taos, Acoma, Zuni and Hopi the most well known.

The Pueblo Indians consist of six distinct groups, each with its own language:

1. Hopi
2. Keres
3. Tewa
4. Tiwa
5. Towa (Jemez)
6. Zuni

They are believed to be descended from the three major cultures that dominated the region before European contact:

1. Mogollon
2. Hohokam
3. Anasazi

Historically, they were the only group of Native Americans that supported themselves entirely by agriculture, which is ironic given that they live in one of the most arid regions in North America. Though European settlement began in the early sixteenth century, the desert conditions precluded masssive intrusions into Indian land until the mid-ninettenth century. As a result and despite forced conversions to Catholicism by the Spanish, the Pueblo tribes have been able to maintain much of their traditional lifestyle. There are now some 35,000 Pueblo Indians, living mostly in New Mexico and Arizona along the Rio Grande and Colorado River.

Further Reading

• Pueblo People, Ancient Traditions Modern Lives, Marica Keegan, Clear Light Publishers, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1998, profusely illustrated hardback, ISBN 1-57416-000-1