(Paiyatemu)'', late 19th century.
Brooklyn Museum The Zuni traditionally speak the
Zuni language, a
language isolate that has no known relationship to any other Native American language. Linguists believe that the Zuni have maintained the integrity of their language for 6,000-to-7,000 years. The Zuni do, however, share a number of words from
Keresan,
Hopi, and
Pima pertaining to religion. The Zuni continue to practice their traditional religion with its regular
ceremonies and dances, and an independent and unique belief system. The Zuni were and are a traditional people who live by
irrigated agriculture and raising livestock. Gradually the Zuni farmed less and turned to
sheep and
cattle herding as a means of economic development. Their success as a desert agri-economy is due to careful management and conservation of resources, as well as a complex system of community support. Many contemporary Zuni also rely on the sale of traditional arts and
crafts. Some Zuni still live in the old-style Pueblos, while others live in modern houses. Their location is relatively isolated, but they welcome respectful tourists. The Zuni Tribal Fair and
rodeo is held the third weekend in August. The Zuni also participate in the Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial, usually held in early or mid-August. The
A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center is a tribal museum that showcases Zuni history, culture, and arts.
Ethnobotany The Zuni utilize many local plants in their culture. For an extensive list, see the main article, "
Zuni ethnobotany". Zuni have developed knowledge of local plants that are used for medical practices and religious rites.
Pottery , late 19th – early 20th century, 12.5″ high,
Brooklyn Museum Traditionally, Zuni women made
pottery for storing food and water. They used symbols of their clans for designs.
Clay for the pottery is sourced locally. Prior to its extraction, the women give thanks to the Earth Mother (
Awidelin Tsitda) according to ritual. The clay is ground, sifted, mixed with water, rolled into a coil, shaped into a vessel or other design, and scraped smooth with a scraper. A thin layer of finer clay, called slip, is applied to the surface for extra smoothness and color. The vessel is polished with a stone after it dries. It is painted with home-made organic dyes, using a traditional
yucca brush. The shape and painted images depend on the intended purpose of the pottery. To fire the pottery, the Zuni used animal dung in traditional
kilns. Today, Zuni potters might use electric kilns. While the firing was usually a community enterprise, silence or communication in low voices was considered essential in order to maintain the original "voice" of the "being" of the clay, and the purpose of the end product. Sales of pottery and traditional arts provide a major source of income for many Zuni people today. An artisan may be the sole financial support for her immediate family as well as others. Many women make pottery or, more rarely, clothing or baskets. Brown, black and red ornamentation can be found on traditional Zuni pots that are first covered with white slip. Common motifs are spiral scrolls edged with triangles, deer, as well as frogs, dragonflies and other symbols associated with rain and water. In addition to pots, Zuni produce owl figurines that are covered with white slip and painted with black and red motifs before firing.
Carving and silversmithing Zuni also make
fetishes and
necklaces for the purpose of rituals and trade, and more recently for sale to collectors. The Zuni are known for their fine
lapidary work. Zuni jewelers set hand-cut turquoise and other stones in silver. Today jewelry-making thrives as an art form among the Zuni. Many Zuni have become master stone-cutters. Techniques used include
mosaic and
channel inlay to create intricate designs and unique patterns. Two specialties of Zuni jewelers are
needlepoint and
petit point. In making needlepoint, small, slightly oval-shaped stones with pointed ends are set in silver bezels, close to one another and side by side to create a pattern. The technique is normally used with
turquoise, sometimes with
coral and occasionally with other stones in creating necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings. Petit point is made in the same fashion as needlepoint, except that one end of each stone is pointed, and the other end is rounded.
Religion Religion is central to Zuni life. Their traditional religious beliefs are centered on the three most powerful of their
deities: Earth Mother, Sun Father, and Moonlight-Giving Mother. The religion is
katsina-based, and ceremonies occur during
winter solstice, summer, harvest, and again in winter. Priesthood includes three priests (north, above and below), and Pekwin (the above priest) determines the religious calendar. A religious society is associated with each of the six kivas, and each boy is initiated into one of these societies by his ceremonial father around the age of five or six.
Shalako Shalako is a series of ceremonial dances that take place throughout the night These outfits can be as high as eight feet; the dancers wearing them represent "couriers of the rain deities come to bless new homes". The dancers move from house to house throughout the night; at dawn Saiyatasha performs a final prayer and the ceremony is complete. Marriage is marked by an exchange of gifts between female relatives of the marrying couple and the husband's sharing of a meal with his wife's family. Female relatives are also responsible for wedding preparations, such as dressing the bride. The Zuni practice
exogamy, and marriage within one's matrilineal line is not observed. Married couples may divorce, and either the husband or wife may initiate it. If a husband chooses to end his marriage, he leaves his wife's household and returns to that of his mother. If a wife chooses to end her marriage, she places her husband's belongings outside of the home. The husband then must collect his belongings and leave, returning to his mother's household. ==In popular culture==