Native American Cultures: TheSouthwest

The Pueblo lived in compact, permanent villages of apartment houses modeled after the cliff dwellings of the Ancestral

Pueblo, such as in the Taos Pueblo, shown here. They were made from stone and adobe (sun-dried clay). When Spanish

explorers saw these huge houses in the 1500s, they called them pueblos, from the Spanish word for village. Photo: Ron

Cogswell/Flickr

By Encyclopedia Britannica, adapted by Newsela staff on 06.09.17

Word Count 936

Level 910L

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The Southwestern United States and northern Mexico were home to many distinct peoples

and cultures before Europeans arrived.

Today, more than one-fifth of Native Americans in the United States live in the Southwest,

mostly in the states of Arizona and New Mexico. Their cultural influence is still strong.

People And Their Languages

Long ago, the people of the Southwest spoke many different languages.

The group of tribes in the Southwest, which includes the Hopi and Zuni, is known as the

Pueblo Indians. Spanish settlers gave them this name. The homes they built looked like small

towns. In Spanish, "pueblo" means town. Even though the Spanish called many groups

Pueblo, they actually spoke several different languages.

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Meanwhile, the Navajo and Apache spoke Athabaskan languages. Athabaskan languages are

also spoken by Native Americans in Alaska–thousands of miles to the north. This tells

historians that the ancestors of the Navajo and Apache probably migrated to the Southwest

from farther north. They arrived long before any European settlers.

Farming And Hunting

Most peoples of the Southwest combined farming with hunting and gathering. The area is

covered by desert and gets little rain, which makes farming a challenge. Groups without water

nearby relied more on wild foods than on farming.

The Pueblo people were mainly farmers. They grew corn, squash, beans and raised turkeys.

Later, the Spanish brought new crops, including wheat, onions and fruit. The Pueblo also

hunted deer, antelope and rabbits, and gathered nuts and berries.

The Navajo and the Apache were nomadic hunters and gatherers. In time, they learned to

grow corn and other vegetables, and later the Spanish brought sheep, goats and cattle.

Settlements And Housing

The Pueblo Indians lived in villages with apartment houses. The groups of homes are also

called pueblos. They were made from stone and sun-dried clay, each with several stories and

many rooms. These homes were modeled after ancient cliff dwellings built thousands of years

ago. Families had several rooms that they used for food preparation, sleeping, storage and

worship. More than 20 pueblos are still thriving communities today, such as the Taos Pueblo

in New Mexico. Approximately 150 people live there full time. Other families own homes in the

pueblo but live in more modern homes outside the old walls. There are more than 1,900 Taos

Indians living on Taos Pueblo lands nearby.

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When the Navajo gave up their nomadic lifestyle to farm, they made hogans. These were

round houses made from stone, logs and earth. The doorway of each hogan opened to the

east to face the morning sun. Today, many Navajo families still live in hogans, although trailers

or more modern houses have taken the place of many. The Apache, who remained mostly

nomadic, built brush-covered huts and skin tepees for shelter. Their less permanent homes

were well-suited to their lifestyle as hunters and gatherers.

Clothing, Pottery And Artwork

The Pueblo Indians wove most of their clothing from cotton they grew themselves. The Navajo

and the Apache, though, traditionally wore clothing made of animal skins and plant fibers.

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Pueblo women made beautiful, strong pottery. Often, each family had its own styles, colors

and designs. The women also wove plants into baskets, trays, mats and sandals.

The men made leather goods, bows and arrows, stone knives, and tools. They drilled and

polished turquoise and other stones to make beads. Later, they learned to make silver jewelry

from Mexican traders.

Society And Family

The Pueblo tribes were organized into many villages before the Spanish arrived. The villages

were independent of one another with their own leaders.

The Native Americans of the Southwest divided work between women and men. Navajo and

Apache women were responsible for raising children, preparing food, collecting firewood and

retrieving water. The men were responsible for hunting.

Children were seen as an important part of the family. Girls learned to cook and care for

children. Meanwhile, boys were given chores such as collecting firewood or taking care of

animals. Boys were also taught to hunt and fight. All children learned that each person must

always pull his or her own weight.

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Religion, Culture Continue To Play A Big Role

Pueblo ceremonies for rain and growth represented the idea that every being is important. It

was believed that the sun would not return, the rain would not fall and the crops would not

grow if everyone did not participate in ceremonies.

The Apache believed that the universe was filled with powerful beings. These included

animals, plants, witches, superhuman beings, rocks and mountains. They could have an effect

on the world for good or bad. Ceremonies asked these beings for good health, success in

hunting and victory in warfare. Navajo ceremonies were based on a similar view of the

universe.

Like all Native Americans, those of the Southwest were affected by the actions of the U.S.

government. Government policies sometimes threatened their ability to live according to their

cultures.

Today, Native Americans of the Southwest have formed tribal-owned businesses. Many have

developed businesses to provide jobs and sell items such as jewelry, pottery and other things

that represent their culture.

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Quiz

1 Fill in the blank.

Overall, the article is organized around ____.

(A) groups of people and where they moved

(B) groups of people and their jobs

(C) groups of people and what they ate

(D) groups of people and their lifestyles

2 What is the connection between the introduction [paragraphs 1-2] and the last two paragraphs of

the article?

(A) Both emphasize how many Native Americans live in the Southwest today.

(B) Both include information about Native Americans in the Southwest today.

(C) Both mention how the U.S. government affected Native Americans.

(D) Both give details about how Native Americans in the Southwest keep their

cultures alive.

3 Use the map and information from the article to select the TRUE statement.

(A) Many Pueblo Indians lived in the modern state of New Mexico.

(B) Many Apache Indians lived in the modern state of Texas.

(C) The Navajo Indians lived in modern-day Mexico.

(D) The Hopi and Zuni tribes lived by the Gulf of Mexico.

4 Which section of the article is BEST illustrated by the map?

(A) Introduction [paragraphs 1-2]

(B) “Farming And Hunting”

(C) “Settlements And Housing”

(D) “Society And Family”

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