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This Hualapai tribe member dances to celebrate the opening of the Grand Canyon Skywalk.
P H OTO G R A P H B Y D AV I D M C N E W, G E T T Y I M A G E S
N AT I V E A M E R I C A N S
Native People of the American
Southwest
BY CYNTHIA O'BRIEN AND JAMIE KIFFEL-ALCHEH
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Thousands of years ago, ancient people first settled in the deep
canyons of present-day New Mexico. The members of these ancient
civilizations—the Pueblo (PWEB-loh), the Mogollon (moh-guh-YOHN),
and the Hohokam (huh-HOH-kum)—built cities carved into the cliffs
and created complex canals to water crops in the desert. Almost all of
the Southwestern tribes, which later spread out into present-day
Arizona, Texas, and northern Mexico, can trace their ancestry back to
these civilizations.
Two powerful Southwest tribes were the exception: the Navajo (NA-
vuh-hoh) and the Apache (uh-PA-chee). These people moved into the
region from the Arctic between the 1200s and 1500s. They were
hunters who followed their game across a wide territory and who often
raided the other tribes in the area for food.
People have been living in the stone houses of the Taos village since around A.D. 1000. It’s the
oldest continuously inhabited placed in the United States.
PHOTOGRAPH BY DAN KAPLAN, SHUTTERSTOCK
COOL CULTURE
Between A.D. 900 and 1150, the ancient Pueblo people built hundreds
of multistory sandstone buildings in canyons. Many tribes including
the Hopi (HOH-pee) continued this building tradition, creating stone
houses that were five stories high.
The American southwest has a dry climate with little rain, so tribes had
to be creative to grow crops like beans and squash. For instance, the
Quechan (kwuht-SAN) people planted crops in narrow valleys that
would sometimes be covered in river water, and the Hopi people grew
different types of corn to suit the arid climate, including white, red,
yellow, blue, and speckled varieties. People also gathered prickly pear
cactus and wild berries, and women and children of some tribes like
the Havasupai (hah-vah-SOO-py) and Mojave (moh-HAH-vee) helped
to hunt, stamping their feet to drive rabbits from their burrows.
Southwestern tribes are well known for their art and crafts. Artisans
create turquoise and silver jewelry, finely woven baskets, clay pottery
with geometric patterns, and colorful blankets.
LIFE TODAY
Many Southwest tribes were affected by the California Gold Rush in
1849, when settlers, mining companies, and U.S. soldiers invaded
ancestral homelands. By the end of the century, many tribal members
had moved onto reservations. But some tribes managed to keep hold
of at least some areas of their native lands because the landscape was
too rugged for settlers.
Some tribes, like the Cocopah (koh-koh-PAH) and Maricopa (MAH-ree-
KOH-pah) in Arizona and the Zuni (ZOO-nee) in New Mexico, run
museums that teach people about their history. In the Grand Canyon
region of Arizona, the Havasupai operate a campsite and lodge, and
many tribal members work as guides for tourists to the national park.
The Hualapai (WAH-luh-py) tribe built the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a
glass platform 4,000 feet above the gorge.
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The Zuni, Navajo, and Hopi tribes are famous for making silver and turquoise jewelry.
P H O T O G R A P H B Y J O S E P H H . B A I L E Y, N A T I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C C R E A T I V E
FUN FACT
• Navajos joined the U.S. Marines as “code talkers” in
1942. They used their language as part of a code to
help the U.S. military communicate secret messages
during World War II.
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Text and photos adapted from the Nat Geo Kids Encyclopedia of
American Indian History and Culture.
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