Zuni Indians
The Zuni Indians, who were inhabitants of the deserts of New Mexico, Arizona,
Colorado and Utah, are said to be descendants of the Ancient Pueblo Peoples.
In fact is has been shown that they may have lived in in this area for over
1,300 years. That is quite extensive.
The Zuni Indians were great pottery makers. The pottery they produced
was made for everyday use, including cooking, storage, bathing, and religious
ceremonies. All of the pieces were painted and carved carefully with designs
that told a story. It was prepared first by grinding stone, and
then sifting and mixing it with water. After the clay was shaped, it was smoothed
with a scraper and polished with a stone. Each piece was hand- painted with
organic dyes using a yucca brush. The ultimate function of the pottery was
determined by its shape, and its design and painted images. To this day, the
process of firing the pottery is sometimes done the traditional way, by using
sheep droppings and hot kilns. Modern day Zuni pottery is now fired
in modern, electric kilns.
The selling of pottery and other traditional arts and crafts is a major source
of income for the Zuni Indians. In some cases, the only source of income. Other
art forms the Zuni Indians created were clothing, jewelry (created for ritual
and trade), baskets, and Kachina dolls. Kachina dolls were hand carved
out of wood. After they were carved to their liking, they clothed them
in masks and costumes to look like the men who dressed up as Kachina spirits.
They were also given to children as a means of learning about the Kachinas,
or Gods. The Southwest Indians believed that the Kachinas would come down to
earth and help them tend their fields; provide wisdom about agriculture and
government. Drawings of these Kachinas have been found on cave walls.
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