Discover the Pueblo Tribe: Top 7 Fun and Fascinating Facts You Didn't Know
1. Turkey Feather Fashion
Talk about being fashionably feathered: the ancestral Pueblo people, including the Hopi, Zuni and Rio Grande Pueblos, crafted blankets and robes from turkey feathers for insulation, sleeping, and funerary wrappings, using sustainably harvested feathers from live birds during natural molting periods, with one blanket requiring feathers from four to 10 turkeys depending on the length of the feathers used.
Source => scitechdaily.com
2. Ancient Solar Calendar Creators
Talk about ancient farmers with solar watches: The ancestral Puebloan people, ancestors of the modern Hopi tribe, created sophisticated rock art around 800 years ago to observe astronomical events, ultimately using it as a solar calendar to determine when to plant their crops – talk about being ahead of their time!
Source => ancient-origins.net
Discover how the Coahuiltecan tribe used unique marriage customs, including trading bows, arrows, and nets, to form eternal bonds. Plus, learn about their intriguing practices surrounding divorce, childbirth, and patrilineal descent. Intrigued? Dive in!
=> Fun Facts about The-Coahuiltecan-Tribe
3. Wildlife Whisperers & Collaborators
Move over, Dr. Doolittle: The Pueblo tribes might just give you a run for your money when it comes to communing with wildlife! Wildlife Whisperers, Assemble: Thanks to a collaboration with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Pueblo tribes can now obtain animal remains from natural deaths or poaching to preserve their cultural tradition of using bones, antlers, and feathers for making weapons, clothing, and ceremonial objects.
Source => learningenglish.voanews.com
4. Time-Traveling Waffle Garden Farmers
Who needs a flux capacitor to make farming cool? The Pueblo tribe time-traveled the old-fashioned way - with waffle gardens and a little sisterly love: They invented the waffle garden plot and used river redirection to tackle the challenges of their harsh environment, cultivating a tight-knit relationship with corn, beans, and squash, known as the three sisters. These innovative farmers not only nourished themselves but also forged deep spiritual connections, helping to keep their cultural heritage alive through hearty meals and kiva gatherings.
Source => study.com
5. Ancestral Martha Stewarts
When the Ancestral Pueblo people weren't busy making desert gardens bloom or inventing the ancestral form of Airbnb through cliff dwelling architecture, they dabbled in arts and crafts like ancient versions of Martha Stewart: They created stunning pottery designs using black paint made from boiled plants like beeweed or tansy mustard, and even crushed hematite rocks, while utilizing yucca plant fibers as innovative paintbrushes.
Source => nps.gov
6. OG Pinterest Wall Inspiration
Little did the Pueblos know, they were on to something before the world of interior designing ever existed: their walls were the original Pinterest board! Filled with intricate murals and adorned with traditional symbols, these ancient designs hold deep religious significance and continue to be cherished by modern Pueblo communities.
Source => ocf.berkeley.edu
7. Pre-MTV Cliffside Dwellers
Long before MTV's "Cribs," the Pueblo tribe already had cliffside living down to an art: In the 1190s, they transitioned from mesa-top homes to constructing dwellings within natural alcoves, resulting in amazing structures like the well-preserved Mesa Verde National Park that ranged from one-room granaries to villages with over 150 rooms.
Source => nps.gov