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Navajo/Hopi/Zuni
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About the Tribes
Navajo | Zuni | Hopi | Using Silver
The three tribes represented here, the Navajo, Zuni and Hopi, have survived the hardships of centuries and developed an ancient and magnificent history.
From 1930s, painting of the high desert west of Santa Fe, by Edward Carl.
The Navajo (The Dineh)
The Navajo live on the biggest reservation in the United States, which is located in both Arizona and New Mexico. The number of tribal members is second only to the Cherokee Indians.
Navajo people believe they are safe if they live within the four sacred mountains that bound their reservation - Mt. Taylor, San Francisco Peak, Blanca Peak, and the La Plata Range. In their storytelling, this is the place of their origins, where their emergence to the surface of the earth occurred from the world below.
The Navajo, or Dineh (The People), as the Navajo call themselves, were first observed near the upper San Juan River in the 14th century and early 15th century. Prior to this, from 700 AD to 1400 AD, the Navajo say they lived in a place called Dinetah. It was in Dinetah, a place in the north, where they developed skills in hunting, farming and weaving. This was most likely the result of influence from the Anasazi, which were long established here at the time. The Navajo most commonly live in widely scattered dwellings called hogans, individual and very different from the pueblo Indians' apartment-like communities.
The Navajo were nomadic, always hunting for food to survive. "The People" were considered to be highly intellectual, and adept at using tools provided by other societies. Living as bandits was a way of life for many decades. In addition to "borrowing" the ideas of others, they actually borrowed the craftsmen and artisans of the other tribes to teach themselves the new technology.
They seized the best of everything, incorporated it into their society and became highly skilled horsemen and ranchers. Beginning in the mid 1600s, conflicts between the Navajo and Spanish were frequent because of the forced Spanish influence of Catholicism and their practice of using the Navajo as slave labor.
When the U.S. took possession of Arizona and New Mexico Territory in 1848, they attempted to wipe out the Navajo, putting them under grueling conditions in which many died.
The Navajo have kept their language alive, and many adults still speak the language. The language is from the Athapascan linguistic family, originating in Canada and Alaska. Very difficult to learn, it was instrumental for the United States' success during World War II. Providing secret communications, the Navajo kept the U.S. enemy baffled. In fact, the Navajo "code" was never broken. The Navajo and their language saved countless American, and enemy, lives that otherwise would have been lost during this war.
Present-day Navajos value and respect their ancient culture. For both their traditional and everyday life, rock art, or petroglyphs, have been used to explain their understanding of the world. This art has passed their culture and understanding of the universe to future generations.
With an ancient history and rich traditions, Navajo artisans give a unique and distinguishing look to every piece of art they produce. These include jewelry, paintings, rugs and sculptures, and are highly admired throughout the world.
After their many hardships, it is wonderful to see that "The People" are still in our midst.
The Zuni Indians
The Zuni Pueblo is located in Western New Mexico approximately thirty-five miles south of the community of Gallup. It is the largest and most populous pueblo in New Mexico, consisting of roughly 10,000 members that live in a 724 square mile area. Many of the citizens are artists making jewelry, fetishes, pottery, and painting. They have been in at this location for over 2,000 years.
Originally called the Ashiwi people, it was the Spanish who gave them the name Zuni. They remain on their well-defended lands, remote and independent. The inhabitants live in the customary ways of their ancestors and use the Shiwi language, only spoken by them. Being a matriarchal society, it is customary for the women to be in control of the family decisions, their property, and children.
Spanish explorers first visited the Zuni pueblo in the 1500s. They believed this pueblo was one of the "Seven Cities of Gold." The myth was propagated by Spanish travelers. Many say the legend spread easily, because of the incredible and frequent visual effect created on the surrounding stone and earth. At a relatively short distance, but during the last hour before sunset, pueblo dwellings and nearby cliffs take on an astonishing and miraculous color of gold.
Shortly after initial contact with Spanish, an explorer named Coronado led a group seeking these gold cities, but instead found a very angry and hostile Zuni people. War developed, but the Zuni soon relented. They acknowledged their Spanish invaders, but could not embrace Spanish customs. Throughout these turbulent years Zuni killed numerous missionaries.
The tribe became the wealthiest, leading power in the territory by the mid 1800s. They have since moved to the development of agriculture and ranching, and have become highly accomplished artists and craftsmen. The Zuni are famous for their stone animal carvings, known as fetishes. The subjects of their carvings are the animals in their area, such as deer, elk, bear and birds.
Zuni artisans have been, in the past, skillful in iron, copper, wood, shell and earthenware, but it was when the Zuni learned to work silver that they began to shine. Zuni jewelry is easily distinguished by its design. One of their popular styles is the stone inlay. This technique involves many types of small stones, which are cut and set together in beautiful patterns. This style is one of the most sought by collectors throughout the world, but Zuni Needlepoint settings, with many small cabachon stones, are their claim to fame.
The Hopi Indians
The Hopi villages are located high up on three mesas in central Arizona. The village residents are mainly artists and farmers. Their land is surrounded entirely by the Navajo Reservation. They have an ancient culture and their language is very distinct. Known as the "Peaceful People," the Hopi are intensely religious and believe that each person must live in tranquility and harmony with life.
One of the major preoccupations of the Hopi is rain. According to Hopi culture, if it rains, the Hopi have performed their ceremonies correctly and have lived a decent life. Peer pressure and cultural values were used to preserve order. They were monogamists and betrayal was rare. Members that were untrue were detested. The Hopi maintain these cultural customs and values that direct their daily lives. Because of this, the Spanish had little success in transitioning these people to Catholicism.
The Hopi lived in neighboring territories and had a vast range across Northern Arizona and New Mexico. Their prosperity brought many invaders and required them to sustain powerful and steady defenses. Many of their villages were widely distributed so they decided to settle on top of three mesas (tall hills with wide, flat tops bounded by cliffs on all sides), which were very hard to attack. In fact, the oldest, continuously occupied village in the United States is a Hopi settlement called Oraibi. Oraibi has now been inhabited since 1150 AD.
Many members in the Hopi population are committed to preserving their language, beliefs, and time-honored ways. They have strong family ties and decline much of the interfering outside world.
Early on, Hopi jewelry had a similar design and style with the Navajo artisans, but the Hopis began to move in another direction. In 1938 or 1939 a new Hopi style of jewelry making emerged using an "overlay" method. This is characterized as silver with a beautiful engraved style made of dark black etchings.
The overlay style developed gradually because of a shortage of silver during World War II. In 1947, Paul Saufkie and Fred Kobote began teaching this style to young men under the American GI Bill. Hopis now use overlay as a primary style for most of their jewelry. Look carefully; pictures do not easily show its true brilliance ... it is very distinctive and beautiful.
Jewelry is seldom signed by the artist but might be stamped with the artists Hallmark. The Hallmark is usually a clan, personal, or animal symbol.
In addition to jewelry making, the Hopi excel and have been refining the art of pottery for almost a thousand years and have been responsible for the finest pottery in North America for hundreds of years.
Using Silver
Use of silver in the jewelry making of the Southwestern tribes began approximately in the 1860s when, according to historians, a frontier trader taught the Navajo artisans to substitute silver for bone. More specifically, they claim a Mexican silversmith named Nakai Tsosi, showed the art to a Navajo blacksmith named Atsidi Saani. And it was he that taught it to other Natives.
Many beleive the Zuni learned to silversmith when Navajo, Atsidi Chon, taught a Zuni named Lanyade. It was Lanyade who later taught the Hopi people.
Today, all tribes have produced magnificent and accomplished artisans. Over the years, various styles have developed as each tribe has branched out and created their own specialties. Look closely and discover why Indian Jewelry from this part of the world is so highly prized.
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