Pueblo
Background Information & Activities

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Many children learn that explorers “discovered” the New World, but it is important for them to understand that native people had been living in the area for thousands of years, long before the arrival of European explorers. Understanding Native American history is a crucial part of understanding American history. Your children should know that the Pueblo people are made up of many different Native American tribes in the Southwest, such as the Hopi, Zuni, Acoma, Taos, Santo Domingo, and Laguna. Each community has its own culture and language, though some share similarities. Many of the Pueblo people are descendants of the ancient Anasazi people who lived in the Southwest thousands of years ago. Today the Pueblo live mostly in New Mexico and Arizona, though they have also lived in Texas, Utah, and Colorado.

The Pueblo people are known for their homes and buildings, which are made of stone or adobe, a type of reddish clay. The adobes are often rectangular with flat roofs, and they can be multiple stories high with movable ladders. The Pueblo have built their villages on the edge of canyons, along cliffs, and on top of mesas, which are hills with flat tops. Historically, the Pueblo people are farmers, growing corn, beans, squash, and cotton. Though they live in a hot, dry area, the Pueblo have farmed successfully for hundreds of years because they found way to divert streams and rivers to irrigate their crops as well as developing advanced farming techniques. Nearly all Pueblo people are divided into clans, or small groups. The clans work together to run their communities and take turns governing and making important decisions. Historically in many Pueblo communities, the women care for the family, do light farm work, and make pottery, while the men weave, do heavy farm work, and lead ceremonies. Women in Pueblo cultures help build homes and also own their own houses. When a Pueblo woman marries, the man comes to live in her home. The Pueblo people are also skilled leather workers and make jewelry out of turquoise. Today many Pueblo still farm to make a living, but they also rely on trading and other occupations.

Some Pueblo people believe in kachinas, which are spirits of their ancestors. Remind your children that an ancestor is a family member from the past. The Pueblo may honor and pray to their kachinas and ask for advice and help. There are hundreds of kachinas, and from a young age, Pueblo children are given kachina dolls to familiarize themselves with the spirits of their ancestors.

The Pueblo lived peacefully for hundreds of years, but when the Spanish explorers arrived, the Pueblo’s way of life changed. In the 1800’s Spanish explorers arrived to the Southwest via Mexico and saw groups of native people living in adobe homes. We recommend watching the Mexico movie together for more information on Mexico. The Spanish explorers called the native people pueblo, which means “village” in Spanish. The explorers enslaved the some of the Pueblo people, but many resisted and remained independent. The Spanish stole their crops, and built missions in order to convert the Pueblo to Christianity. Missionaries forced the native people to destroy their religious relics and demanded that they cease practicing their religious ceremonies and rituals. Many Pueblo people still practiced their religion in secret, often in underground rooms. The European settlers also brought smallpox, a contagious disease that decimated thousands of Pueblo people. The Pueblo remained strong, relying on each other to survive. In 1860, Pueblo communities banded together to revolt. They succeeded in driving the Spanish for a brief period of time.

Today, many Pueblo speak their native language, as well as English and Spanish. Many Pueblo celebrations blend Christianity with traditional practices. Remind your children that the Pueblo community remains strong today.

See more lesson plans and resources: BrainPOP Educators.

Pueblo Teacher Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Adobes

Explain to your students that some early Pueblo homes had no windows or doors and people entered through a trapdoor on the roof. Other Pueblo homes are multiple stories with movable ladders. Together find different pictures and examples of Pueblo homes. Discuss the similarities and differences. Then have your students make a model of a Pueblo home. They may wish to use clay or make a diorama. Encourage your students to be creative. Then display their models so they can share them with the rest of the class.

Pottery

Have your students research pottery from different Pueblo communities, such as the Hopi and Zuni. Read Byrd Balor’s When Clay Sings. Remind them that each Pueblo community has a different culture and different style of pottery. If possible, have students make a piece of Pueblo pottery using clay. You can also have students make vases out of paper and have them make symbolic designs.

Ancestor Dolls

Review with your students that some Pueblo believe in kachinas, or spirits of their ancestors. There are hundreds of different kachinas and many Pueblo children play with kachina dolls to familiarize themselves with their ancestors. Research different kachina dolls from different Pueblo tribes. Then have your students make kachina dolls of their own ancestors. Have each student share his or her doll with the class.

Pueblo Family Activities

© 1999-2012 BrainPOP. All rights reserved.

Native American History at Home

What did your city or state look like hundreds of years ago? Who lived there? Together with your child learn about the Native Americans that live or have lived in your city or state. You can visit your local natural history museum, check out books from the library, or conduct research on the Internet to support what you and your child have learned.

Ancestors

Remind your child that an ancestor is a family member from the past. Learn more about your ancestors. You may want to talk to an elderly family member to learn more about your family’s history. You can also look through old photo albums and discuss different family members and how they are all related. Remind your child that the Pueblo believe that kachinas are spirits of their ancestors. Pueblo people ask their ancestors for advice and guidance. What kind of advice would your child want to ask his or her ancestors?