SOUTHWEST TRIBES

SOUTHWEST TRIBES category image

Southwest Tribes Cultural Area

The Southwest Culture Area is a culturally diverse area. Geographically it covers all of the Southwest Tribes of Arizona and New Mexico and includes parts of Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and Texas as well as parts of the Mexican states of Sonora and Chihuahua.

Much of this area is semi-arid; part of it is true desert (southern Arizona); and part of it has upland and mountain ranges which support conifers. Culturally, the area can be divided into four basic cultural traditions: Pueblo, Athabascan, Piman, and Yuman.

Tribes by Region

Explore Native American tribes arranged by their geographical region.

Arctic Tribes California Tribes Great Basin Plains Indians Northeast Northwest Plateau Tribes Southeast Southwest Sub-Arctic

In northern Arizona and New Mexico there are several Indian tribes who have traditionally lived in compact villages. The Spanish used the word pueblo which means “town” in referring to these people.

The Pueblo people are not a single cultural tradition, but are in fact several distinct cultures. They share some features – farming, housing – and are very different in others.

Around 1400 CE a new group of people began to enter the Southwest. These Athabascan-speaking people – the Navajo and the Apache – migrated from the area north of Edmonton, Alberta.

The Sonoran desert of Arizona and Sonora is the home of a number of Piman-speaking groups, primarily the Tohono O’odham (Papago) and Akimel O’odham (Pima.

The area along the Colorado and Gila Rivers was the traditional home to a number of Yuman-speaking tribes.

Southwest Pottery

The pottery traditions of the Southwestern Pueblos are well-known to museums, art collectors, and others. For many centuries, Pueblo people have made and used a wide variety of pottery containers, including bowls, jars, cups, ladles, and canteens.

Pueblo pottery is traditionally formed with a coil technique in which coils of clay are circled around the base of the pot to form the walls of the vessel.Perhaps the best known Pueblo potter is María Martínez of San Ildelfonso Pueblo.

Southwestern Basketry

All of the Indian nations in the Southwest produced basketry.

Southwest Carvings

During the past century, the carving of katsina “dolls” has become a major art form which is well-recognized in the art world.

These are carved by relatives of little Indian girls and presented to these children at Katsina dances to teach the children the features and meaning of the Katsinas.

Traditional carvers feel that those who carve the katsina “dolls” should be able to speak Hopi because knowledge of the language is required to truly participate in Hopi ceremonies.

Without full participation in Hopi ceremonies, the carvers cannot know the true spiritual intent of the katsina.While the term “kachina” is more commonly used, the tribe prefers the designation “katsina.”

Southwest Tribes

Location: Arizona | Nevada | New Mexico | Parts of Utah and Colorado
Terrain: Arid Desert, Mountains, Plateaus

  • Ak Chin, Arizona
  • Southern Athabaskan
    • Apachean (Also see Plains Indians)
      • Aravaipa
      • Chiricahua Apache, New Mexico and Oklahoma
      • Jicarilla Apache, New Mexico
      • Lipan Apache, Texas
      • Mescalero Apache, New Mexico
      • San Carlos Apache, Arizona
      • Tonto Apache, Arizona
        • Northern Tonto
        • Southern Tonto
      • Western Apache (Coyotero Apache), Arizona
      • White Mountain Apache, Arizona
    • Navajo, (Diné), Arizona and New Mexico
  • Aranama (Hanáma, Hanáme, Chaimamé, Chariname, Xaraname, Taraname)
  • Coahuiltecan, Texas, northern Mexico
  • Cocopa, Arizona, northern Mexico
  • Comecrudo Texas, northern Mexico
  • Cotoname (Carrizo de Camargo)
  • Genízaro Arizona, New Mexico
  • Halchidhoma, Arizona and California
  • Hualapai, Arizona
  • Havasupai, Arizona
  • Hohokam, formerly Arizona
  • Karankawa, Texas
  • Kavelchadhom
  • La Junta, Texas, Chihuahua
  • Mamulique, Texas, northern Mexico
  • Manso, Texas, Chihuahua
  • Pima, Arizona
  • Pima Bajo
  • Pueblo peoples, Arizona, New Mexico, Western Texas
    • Ancestral Pueblo, formerly Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah
    • Hopi-Tewa (Arizona Tewa, Hano), Arizona, joined the Hopi during the Pueblo Revolt
    • Hopi, Arizona
    • Keres people, New Mexico
      • Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico
      • Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico
      • Kewa Pueblo (formerly Santo Domingo Pueblo), New Mexico
      • Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico
      • San Felipe Pueblo, New Mexico
      • Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico
      • Zia Pueblo, New Mexico
    • Tewa people, New Mexico
      • Nambé Pueblo, New Mexico
      • Ohkay Owingeh (formerly San Juan Pueblo), New Mexico
      • Pojoaque Pueblo, New Mexico
      • San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico
      • Tesuque Pueblo, New Mexico
      • Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico
    • Tiwa people, New Mexico
      • Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico
      • Picuris Pueblo, New Mexico
      • Sandia Pueblo, New Mexico (Nafiat was the name for the Bernalillo pueblo)
      • Taos Pueblo, New Mexico
      • Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (Tigua Pueblo), Texas
      • Piro Pueblo, New Mexico
    • Towa people
      • Jemez Pueblo (Walatowa), New Mexico
      • Pecos (Ciquique) Pueblo, New Mexico
    • Zuni people (Ashiwi), New Mexico
  • Quems
  • Solano, Coahuila, Texas
  • Tamique
  • Toboso
  • O’odham/Pima/Papago
    • Tohono O’odham (Papago), Arizona and Mexico
    • Qahatika, Arizona
  • Tompiro
  • Ubate
  • Walapai, Arizona
  • Yaqui (Yoreme), Arizona, Sonora
  • Yavapai, Arizona
    • Tolkapaya (Western Yavapai), Arizona
    • Yavapé (Northwestern Yavapai), Arizona
    • Kwevkapaya (Southeastern Yavapai), Arizona
    • Wipukpa (Northeastern Yavapai), Arizona


Ak Chin Arizona
Apache Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma
Apachean

Chiricahua
Jicarilla
Mescalero Apache

Western Apache (Coyotero Apache), Arizona

San Carlos Apache

Western Apache

Cochimi Baja California
Cochiti
Cocopa Arizona

Comecrudo, Texas, northern Mexico
Cotoname (aka Carrizo de Camargo)

Genízaro, Arizona, New Mexico

Halchidhoma
Hano
Hualapai
Havasupai Arizona
Hohokam, Arizona
Hopi Arizona

Jemez

Jumano
Karankawa
Los Luceros
Opata
Pecos
Pericu Baja California
Piro
Pueblo People, New Mexico
Qahatika
Seri
Suma
Tesuque
Tigua
Waicuri (Guaicura) Baja California
Yavapai see Yavapai-Apache Nation

Yavapai-Prescott Tribe Arizona  (often confused with Tonto Apache and Mojave)
Yavapai, (Mojave-Apache) see Yavapai-Apache Nation,

Yuma – See Quechan
Zia

Arctic | California | Northeast | Great Basin | Great Plains
NW Coast | Plateau | Southeast | Southwest | Sub Arctic