Ashiwi
Adventures
One of the region's oldest communities
Zuni Pueblo
Zuni Pueblo is the largest of the nineteen New Mexican Pueblos, covering more than 700 square miles and with a population of over 10,000. We are considered to be the most traditional of all the New Mexico Pueblos, with a unique language, culture, and history that resulted in part from our geographic isolation.
With perhaps 80% of our workforce involved in making arts, we are indeed an “artist colony.” Our main “industry” is the production of arts, including inlay silverwork, stone “fetish” carving, pottery, and others of which we are world famous.
The Zuni religion, language, agriculture, and customs continue to be essential parts of Zuni life and are passed from one generation to the next. For centuries, our practice of annual traditional rituals has brought blessings, peace, harmony, long life, and fertility to the Zuni people – and, we believe, to the people of the world.
Our Middle Place
Halona Idiwan’a
Zuni is a sovereign, self-governed nation, with our own constitutional government, courts, police force, school system, and economic base. Our year is marked by a cycle of traditional ceremonial activities; the most sacred, and perhaps the most recognized, is the annual Sha’lak’o event.
Respect for our A:shiwi culture, heritage, and traditions anchors our community to our ancestors, though we simultaneously embrace and integrate the amenities of modern society, like cell phones, microwave ovens, CD’s, computer technology and the Internet.
Elahkwa (Thank You) for respecting our traditions.
Backcountry Adventures
Archaeology & History Tours
Cities of Cibola
Coronado arrived in 1540, expecting to find gold in the Cities of Cibola, aka ancestral Zuni villages. The Cities of Cibola tour is a 1-2 day tour to six of the 7 Cities of Cibola. The tour combines archaeology, history, Zuni traditions, and belief systems for a truly unique, immersive cultural experience.
One day tour is $150 for two people. Please contact Ashiwi Adventures for group rates or 2-day rate.
Hawikku, Village of the Great Kivas, Farming Villages & Badger Springs
$85 for one or two persons; three or more - $35 each; 2.5 - 3 hours duration
Hawikku
Step back in time visiting one of the fabled "Cities of Cibola." Hawikku was the place of "first contact" between Europeans and Native People in the Southwest in 1540, when Coronado arrived. The site was excavated from 1917 to 1923 by archaeologist Frederick Hodge, with an exhibit featured at our A:shiwi A:wan Museum & Hertiage Center.
Village of the Great Kivas
Experience this Chacoan-outlier village, with its two "great" kivas, as well as extensive rock art, including both petroglyphs & pictographs. The site was excavated in 1930 by archaeologist Frank Roberts. This tour provides a glimpse into Zuni's historic culture and society, with links to more recent history.
Historic Farming Villages
Visit a few of the many Zuni farming village sites to learn about Zuni's rich agricultural history and the extensive dry-land farming practices developed over the centuries. The tour weaves cultural stories with personal anecdotes to provide guests with insight into the Zuni connection to the land and these ancestral communities.
Badger Springs
Visit this remote back-country rock art and Great House site, with a rich variety of ancestral images and artifacts. The site comes to life with vivid interpretation and cultural stories. Unlike the petroglyphs etched on to basalt boulders at other sites, the extensive collection of images at Badger Springs were carved into the sandstone, often deeply.
Bluebird Mesa | Hiking & History
Hike to a beautiful, remarkably preserved village on top of Bluebird mesa, with breathtaking views of Zuni's red sandstone and deep canyons.
$85 for one or two persons.
OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Testimonials
The explanations provided by Kenny were eye-opening and helped us to better understand what would otherwise look like random drawings. He also helped us learn about different styles of petroglyphs and how to interpret their approximate age.
Marty F
Plymouth, MIA variety of cultural adventures are offered that make Zuni a favorite Pueblo visit. Kenny Bowekaty, the archaeologist who designs the tours took us on a ½-day, 4-6 hour, tour to give us the best understanding of Zuni tribe history, Zuni legends, and Zuni ceremonies.
Tom & Wendy
AdventurousRetirement.comI found our time at Hawikku and with Kenny very meaningful. The layers of past, present, and future are remarkable, creating an extraordinary vision of continuity. Recommended for anyone wishing to learn more about the culture and history of the Zuni.
Courtney
Mānoa, Hawai‘i
Indigenous Entrepreneurs in Zuni
Zuni Pueblo Is Ensuring Tourism Happens on the Community's Terms. The 1,300-year-old settlement in the Colorado Plateau is home to adobe houses, archaeological sites, and thousands of petroglyphs.
Zuni | A Favorite Pueblo Visit
A variety of cultural adventures are offered that make Zuni a favorite Pueblo visit. The ½-day, 4-6 hour, tour provided us with a solid framework to understand Zuni tribal history, Zuni legends, and Zuni ceremonies.
How Time and Place Is Woven at Zuni
We started our time at Zuni by visiting the local trading posts where I and several of my fellow field school students were captivated by the fetishes. The fetishes are stone animals that protect the owner’s mind and body from harm.
Zuni Standard Time
For 1,300 years, Zuni Pueblo has closely guarded its rich cultural heritage in relative isolation. Now Indigenous archaeologists, like Kenny Bowekaty and Sean Latone, are helping visitors experience the allure and artistry of New Mexico’s largest pueblo.
Ashiwi Adventures
Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico
Ashiwi Adventures provides extraordinary tours of Zuni Pueblo, with a focus on the archaeology, culture, history, and traditions that serve as the foundation for one of the region's oldest communities.
Whereas the tours listed provide a slate of options, custom tours can be created with advance notice. For example, Zuni culinary traditions, artists, and music/dance.
