Zuni

home

Zuni

The Zuni Indians were located in New Mexico. Their homes were made of a terraced, stone and adobe pueblos on hills overlooking the river. They lived by agriculture, or farming. They grew corn, beans, squash and chiles. During the last hundred years, the Zuni Indians developed skills as jewelry makers and are now famous for this work.

The word Zuni means "the flesh". They made many masks and had an abundance of religious dances and ceremonies. Masks were vital to these dances. The Zuni were famous for their imaginative designs and the sheer number of masks. They were bizarre to look at and symbolically painted. The masks used for the Shalako festival after the harvest were some of the largest masks. They were as high as nine feet and enclosed the men who danced inside it.

The festivals were filled with dancing and colorful clothing. They used eagle-feathered headdresses. Many tribes would dance through the night. Truly, the gods must have been pleased with the people of the Zuni tribe.

return to top


Zuni

The Zuni Indians were located in New Mexico. Their homes were made of a terraced, stone and adobe pueblos on hills overlooking the river. They lived by agriculture, or farming. They grew corn, beans, squash and chiles. During the last hundred years, the Zuni Indians developed skills as jewelry makers and are now famous for this work.

The word Zuni means "the flesh". They made many masks and had an abundance of religious dances and ceremonies. Masks were vital to these dances. The Zuni were famous for their imaginative designs and the sheer number of masks. They were bizarre to look at and symbolically painted. The masks used for the Shalako festival after the harvest were some of the largest masks. They were as high as nine feet and enclosed the men who danced inside it.

The festivals were filled with dancing and colorful clothing. They used eagle-feathered headdresses. Many tribes would dance through the night. Truly, the gods must have been pleased with the people of the Zuni tribe.