Zuni (people)

Zuni (people) or Zuñi, tribe of Native Americans who live in a pueblo on the Zuñi Reservation near Zuni, New Mexico. The Zuñi 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 Zuñi 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.

The Zuñi 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 Zuñi are descended from the inhabitants of the seven Zuñi 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 Zuñi possessed fabulous riches, and in 1540 the Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado led an expedition against the Seven Cities. He conquered the Zuñi but found no treasure. Although a Christian mission was established among them in 1629, the Zuñi clung to their traditional religion. In 1680, when they numbered about 2,500, the Zuñi joined the successful Pueblo uprising against the Spanish, who subjugated them again in 1692. In the 2000 U.S. census about 9,100 people identified themselves as Zuñi only; an additional 1,000 people reported being part Zuñi.

See also Pueblo.