What did the Pueblo tribe live in? The Pueblo tribe lived in in adobe houses, also known as pueblos, that were well suited to the warm dry climate in which they lived. The Adobe, or pueblo homes, were multi-story houses made of adobe (clay and straw baked into hard bricks). A feature of every village is the underground chamber used for tribal ceremonies called a Kiva. Many of the Pueblo villages were built on high table lands that were inaccessible except by steep trails. What is a Kiva? A Kiva is a special sacred building, usually built underground, that is used for spiritual ceremonies and religious rituals that are strongly associated with the Kachina belief system. Kivas were the sacred domain of the Pueblo men where they performed their secret rites. A kiva consisted of circular underground chambers entered through a hatchway on top. Prayer Sticks, or 'Pahos', were prepared in the Kivas for calling forth spirits in the evocation of a prayer. What language did the Pueblo tribe speak? The Pueblo tribe spoke in the Uto-Aztecan (Numic) language. What did the Pueblo tribe eat? The food that the Pueblo tribe ate included meat obtained by the men who hunted deer, small game and turkeys. As farmers the Pueblo Tribe produced crops of corn, beans, sunflower seeds and squash in terraced fields. Crops and meat were supplemented by nuts, berries and fruit including melons. The Pueblos then began to raise sheep and goats. The Pueblos often traded with their produce with other Native American Indians that lived in the Southwest. What weapons did the Pueblo use? The Atlatl was an ancient weapon that was by the Pueblo prior to the appearance of the bow and arrow. The Atlatl was a type of Spear thrower or 'throwing stick' used to propel spears or "darts". The tribe also used different kinds of knives and eventually the rife was introduced as a weapon. What clothes did the Pueblo men wear? The clothes worn by the men Men's clothing included breechcloths which were made from a long rectangular piece of animal skin or cloth which was worn between the legs and tucked over a belt. Tunics with a concho belt fastened around the waist. The men wore cloaks or ponchos during the cold weather, often decorated with a butterfly design. The traditional headdress worn by the Hopi men were simple cloth or leather headbands and they wore moccasins made of soft leather on their feet. Peublo dancers sometimes wore painted masks or crowns of feathers as can be seen in the above picture. What clothes did the Pueblo women wear? The type of clothes worn by the women were knee-length cotton dresses called mantas which were fastened at a woman's right shoulder, leaving her left shoulder bare and tied around the waist with a belt. Hair was kept long and worn in a traditional hair knot called a Hömsoma which was wrapped in white yarn. Like all women they liked jewelry and wore turquoise and silver ornaments. What was the religion and beliefs of the Pueblo tribe? The religion and beliefs of the Pueblo tribe was based on Animism that encompassed the spiritual or religious idea that the universe and all natural objects animals, plants, trees, rivers, mountains rocks etc have souls or spirits. The tribe totems of the Pueblo tribe were the mountain lion, humming bird, blue bird, gopher and the boulder goose. The Avanyu is a snake-like reptile deity that figures in the mythology of the Pueblo tribe. The Avanyu represented a storm bringer and was connected with lightning, thunderstorms and was revered as the guardian of water. The butterfly played an important part in their Creation myth. The Pueblos tribe believed that the Creator took the most beautiful colors of all living things and placed them into a magical bag. When it was opened beautiful colored butterflies flew out singing but the song birds were so jealous that the Creator took away the ability of the butterfly to sing. The Pueblo Indians in Arizona also practised by the fleeka, or arrow-dance. |