Native American Desert Peoples
Many cultural and linguistic Native American groups made (and still make) the deserts of the American Southwest their home.
Each group in each of the four deserts -- Mojave, Sonoran, Great Basin and Chihuahuan -- adapted differently, depending on local conditions and limitations. Most were farmers, in addition to hunting and gathering. Some groups relied on dry farming, while others utilized irrigation techniques, perhaps inherited from ancient cultures that preceded them.
Different groups developed pottery, basketry or other arts and crafts, depending on local resources and cultural traditions. All learned to utilize the precious resources available in the desert to maintain a way of life that was both practical and religious. As with all desert life, water was of primary concern, and communities tended to form near sources of free water, which were vital habitats for desert animals and plants as well.
Communities tended to form near sources of water
Native American culture permeates the desert regions of North America, even to this day. Because of the complexity of Native American groups and subgroups, classification has remained problematic, except on a linguistic basis, as employed below.
Native Americans of the Desert Southwest
PUEBLO
YUMANS
|
DINE
SHOSHONEAN
Steve Crouthamel |
"Paleo-Indians" (Part 1)
Desert Archaic peoples( Part 2)
Desert Archaic peoples - Spritual Quest (Part 3)
Native Americans - The Formative Period (Part 4)
Voices from the South (Part 5)
The Mogollon Basin and Range Region (Part 6)
The Mogollon - Their Magic (Part7)
Hohokam the Farmers (Part 8)
The Hohokam Signature (Part 9 )
The Anasazi (Part 10)
The Anasazi 2 (Part 11)
The Great Puebloan Abandonments (Part 12)
Paquime (Part 13)
Cochise and the Bascom Affair
Geronimo's Last Hurrah
Books on Native American healing
Mangas Coloradas
Videos of Desert Animals
Why K-12 Students Read DesertUSA.com
Site Guide | Maps | Search | Index | About DUSA | Feedback| Privacy
Aquis Towels | Hotels | Polo Club News
SEARCH THIS SITE
Mesa Verde - Video - Mesa Verde National Park preserves the remnants of the Anasazi people, "The Ancient Ones." The Cliff Palace, one of the park's most popular attractions, contains over 150 rooms and is the largest cliff dwelling in the world. The Anasazi built these elaborate structures without metal tools of any kind, and no one knows why the left. Take a look at this mysterious remnant of this elusive culture in this DesertUSA video.
Canyon de Chelly National Monument Video
Canyon de Chelly NM offers the opportunity to learn about Southwestern Indian history from the earliest Anasazi to the Navajo Indians who live and farm here today. Its primary attractions are ruins of Indian villages built between 350 and 1300 AD at the base of sheer red cliffs and in canyon wall caves.
The Cosos Range - Little Petroglyph Canyon
The Cosos lie within the confines of China Lake Naval Weapons Center (NWC), the U.S. Navy's largest research and development facility.
More videos .....
- Indian Uses of Desert Plants (article)
- Geronimo: His Own Story
- Wyatt Earp: The Missing Years
- Mojave Road Guide
- DVD Ancient Indian Cultures
of Northern Arizona - CDs Desert Music
