A:Shiwi (Zuni Pueblo) Plaited Yucca Ring Basket

The A:Shiwi is an indigenous tribe in what is now west-central New Mexico, on the Arizona border. The A:Shiwi are believed to be the decadents of the Anasazi people(Ancestral pueblo) and speak Shiwi’ma, an isolated language in the Penutian language grouping (major grouping of American Indian languages spoken along the west coast of North America). A:Shiwi traditions depict a past in which their ancestors emerged from underground and eventually settled at the tribe’s present location. A:Shiwi society is organized through kinship and includes 13 matrilineal clans. Although some A:Shiwi individuals have converted to Christianity, many practice their traditional religion, which centers on gods or spirit-beings called kachinas (katsinas) and has a complex ceremonial organization.

When Pueblo groups first encountered the Spanish in the 16th century, the A:Shiwi were living in Hawikuh and five or six other towns. In 1680 the A:Shiwi and other Pueblo peoples defeated the Spanish through the Pueblo Rebellion. The tribes retained their independence until 1692, when the Spanish reconquered the area.

Most A:Shiwi families historically farmed, raising corn (maize), squash, and beans. Since the early 19th century A:Shiwi craftspeople have been known for making silver and turquoise jewelry, baskets, beadwork, animal fetishes, and pottery, all of very high quality.

The basket seen here would have been used for a variety of purposes including carrying items, storage, and ceremonies in some cases. To make the basket, a very simple process, that would include the collection of yucca, then drying the yucca, and finally woven into place.