The Zuni Indian Reservation, also known as Pueblo of Zuni, is the homeland of the Zuni tribe of Native Americans. In

Zuni language Zuni (also formerly Zuñi, endonym ''Shiwiʼma'') is a language of the Zuni people, indigenous to western New Mexico and eastern Arizona in the United States. It is spoken by around 9,500 people, especially in the vicinity of Zuni Pueblo, New M ...

, the Zuni Pueblo people are referred to as A:shiwi, and the Zuni homeland is referred to as Halona Idiwan’a meaning Middle Place.

Location

The reservation lies in the Zuni River valley and is located primarily in McKinley and Cibola counties in western

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

, about west of

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...

. There are also several smaller non-contiguous sections in

Apache County, Arizona Apache County is in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. Shaped in a long rectangle running north to south, as of the 2020 census, its population was 66,021. The county seat is St. Johns. Most of the county is occupied by part ...

, northwest of the city of St. Johns. The main part of the reservation borders the state of

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

to the west and the Ramah Navajo Reservation to the east. The main reservation is surrounded by the Painted Cliffs, the

Zuni Mountains Zuni may refer to: Peoples and languages * Zuni people, an indigenous people of the United States * Zuni language, their language Places * Zuni, Virginia, an unincorporated town in Virginia in the United States * Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico, a ...

, and the

Cibola National Forest The Cibola National Forest (pronounced SEE-bo-lah) is a 1,633,783 acre (6,611.7 km2) United States National Forest in New Mexico, USA. The name Cibola is thought to be the original Zuni Indian name for their pueblos or tribal lands. The name w ...

. The reservation's total land area is 723.343 sq mi (1,873.45 km²). As noted above, the Zuni Tribe also has land holdings in

Apache County Apache County is in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. Shaped in a long rectangle running north to south, as of the 2020 census, its population was 66,021. The county seat is St. Johns. Most of the county is occupied by par ...

, Arizona, and

Catron County Catron County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 3,725, making it New Mexico's third-least populous county. Its county seat is Reserve. Catron County is New Mexico's largest county by area. ...

, New Mexico, that do not border the main reservation.

Population

The population was reported at 7,891 inhabitants in the 2010 census. Almost all of the population lives in the reservation headquarters community of

Zuni Pueblo Zuni Pueblo (also Zuñi Pueblo, Zuni: ''Halona Idiwan’a'' meaning ‘Middle Place’) is a census-designated place (CDP) in McKinley County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 6,302 as of the 2010 Census. It is inhabited largely b ...

, located near the reservation's center, or in nearby Black Rock, to its east. Welcome to Zuni!

History and main features

Also on the main reservation are the

Hawikuh Ruins Hawikuh (also spelled ''Hawikku'', meaning "gum leaves" in ZuniLanmon, Dwight P. and Harlow, Francis, "A brief history of the Ashiwi (Zuni) pueblos", in ''The Pottery of Zuni Pueblo'', 2008, Museum of New Mexico Press. ), was one of the largest of ...

. The ancient Zuni pueblo of Hawikuh was the largest of the

Seven Cities of Cibola The myth of the Seven Cities of Gold, also known as the Seven Cities of Cibola (), was popular in the 16th century and later featured in several works of popular culture. According to legend, the seven cities of gold referred to Aztec mythology r ...

. It was established in the 13th century and abandoned in 1680. It was also the first pueblo seen by the Spanish explorers. The

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

n scout

Estevanico Estevanico ("Little Stephen"; modern spelling Estebanico; –1539), also known as Esteban de Dorantes or Mustafa Azemmouri (مصطفى الزموري), was the first African to explore North America. Estevanico first appears as a slave in Portu ...

was the first non-Native to reach this area. The largest town on the reservation is

, which is seat of Tribal government. Also on the reservation are the towns of Black Rock and Pescado. There is a branch campus of the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

located in Zuni.

Tribal government

The Zuni Tribe is governed by an elected governor, lieutenant governor, and a six-member Tribal Council with elections being held every four years. The governor is the administrative head of the Tribal Council, which is the final decision-making body on the reservation. The council oversees finances, business decisions, taxes and contracts.

Education

The sections in Cibola and McKinley counties in New Mexico are zoned to the Zuni Public Schools. Zuni High School is the zoned high school.

Bibliography

Zuni Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, New Mexico/Arizona
United States Census Bureau

References

External links

Official site of the Zuni tribe

Official site of Zuni Tourism
{{authority control American Indian reservations in Arizona American Indian reservations in New Mexico Geography of Apache County, Arizona Geography of Catron County, New Mexico Geography of Cibola County, New Mexico Geography of McKinley County, New Mexico

Reservation __NOTOC__ Reservation may refer to: Places Types of places: * Indian reservation, in the United States * Military base, often called reservations * Nature reserve Government and law * Reservation (law), a caveat to a treaty * Reservation in India, ...