The University of Arizona
 

Paths of Life: American Indians of the Southwest

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Yaqui deer dance

"We believe that we are here now, that we have always been here, and that we will always be here.... We recognize that major changes occur, have occurred, will occur—that change is inevitable.

"We accept change, but only on our own terms, which means selective change, slow change, change that does not destroy our cultural fabric."

—Edmund Ladd, Zuni

In the Museum

See, hear, and touch highlights of the Yaqui, O’odham, Apache, Navajo, and Hopi sections of the Paths of Life exhibition with knowledgeable guides. Free* docent-led tours are available October through April:

  • Thursdays, 2:00 p.m.
  • Fridays, 1:00 & 2:00 p.m.
  • Saturdays, 2:00 p.m.

Standard tours are 45 minutes but are flexible: ask your guide for a shorter or longer experience! Tours are geared towards adults but all ages are welcome. No reservations necessary for the above regularly-scheduled tours. Tours are subject to change according to docent availability. You may call ahead to Dan Vander Ploeg at 520-626-5886 or check at the front desk upon arrival to confirm that a tour is available.

For larger groups (8 or more) or a special request, please submit a Special Tour Request form.

* Docent-led tours are free with paid admission.

Online

You can see the entire exhibit online, either in virtual reality format or in panoramic still images.

The American Southwest is known as a region with a mix of many different peoples. Native American cultures flourished thousands of years before Spanish, Mexican, and European immigrants settled here. Today there are twenty-two different Indian nations in Arizona alone.

Each of the American Indian groups of the Southwest has its own unique culture and history—the "Path of Life" that its people follow. These paths have been shaped by the peoples’ views of their origins, their traditional values and beliefs, the landscape, historical events, their relations with the U.S. government, and their interactions with other peoples in the region.

This exhibition takes an innovative look at ten American Indian cultures of Arizona and northwest Mexico: the Seri, Tarahumara, Yaqui, O'odham, Colorado River Yumans, Southern Paiute, Pai, Apache, Hopi and Navajo. For each group, a theme of special cultural relevance is traced through three sections—Origins, History, and Life Today.

Life for Native Americans has changed rapidly in the past fifty years, as it has for all Americans. But, this does not mean that their cultures have died. As with any people, cultures are constantly changing in response to forces from without and within.

The Paths of Life exhibition is intended to increase understanding of the Indian cultures of the Southwest. Despite rapidly changing lifestyles, or perhaps because of them, traditional values remain an important force in the vitality of American Indian cultures.

The museum staff worked extensively with tribal representatives to design an exhibition that takes American Indians out of the history books and gives insight to their own cultural perspectives and values.

Find out more...
Educational resources about the exhibit for students, teachers and visitors.

Try the online version of:
Native Languages of ArizonaOpens in a new window

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