Southwest Peoples

Scorching heat, vast deserts, and little rainfall make the American Southwest sound unwelcoming to most people, but to the Native Americans who have lived in the area for thousands of years, this is their cherished homeland. In Southwest Peoples, kids will enjoy learning about the various tribes that once lived in this region – and the ones that still live there today. First, they’ll read about the three distinct civilizations – the Anasazi, Hohokan, and Mogollon – who once occupied the land, and later they’ll find out about their modern-day descendants, which include Pueblo, Hopi, and Zuni Indians.

They’ll read about how these early tribes lived in relative peace until Spanish explorers made contact in the 16th century, and then enslaved them, made them pay tributes, or forced them to convert to Christianity – setting off almost 500 years of mistreatment. Kids learning about Southwest Peoples will also read about later resistance heroes, like Geronimo, and about the forced movement of Native Americans to reservations. Today, their numbers are much fewer, but some Southwest Peoples still live like their ancestors did: making pottery, farming, and attending inter-tribal festivals, or powwows. Details on how their spiritual beliefs live on in their ceremonies and rituals give kids learning about Southwest Peoples a deeper understanding of their nature-based worldview.