Special thanks to my friend, Wells Mahkee for contributing his time and effort to the making of these sound files. Wells is born of the Sun clan and is a child of the Badger clan.

This page was developed because we enjoyed hearing our friends in Zuni speak their first language. It isn't meant to be a linguistic study. It is our way of sharing our fascination of the melodic sounds and words spoken in Shiwi.

The Puebloan peoples speak languages of at least two different families. Languages of the Tanoan branch of the Aztec-Tanoan linguistic stock are spoken at 11 pueblos, including Taos, Isleta, Jemez, San Juan, San Ildefonso, and the Hopi pueblo of Hano. Languages of the Keresan branch of the Hokan-Siouan linguistic stock also are limited to Pueblo people—Western Keresan, spoken at Acoma and Laguna, and Eastern Keresan, at San Felipe, Santa Ana, Sia, Cochiti, and Santo Domingo. The Hopi language, which belongs to the Uto-Aztecan branch of the Aztec-Tanoan linguistic stock, is spoken at all Hopi pueblos except Hano.

Only the Zuni language is unrelated to any of these familes and is spoken no where else on earth. It is a beautiful, melodic language. Today it is being taught in the schools and most Zuni families speak some Shiwi in their homes. Many of the elders speak Shiwi almost exclusively, though they are able to speak and understand English.

Click the links below to hear the words spoken in Shiwi.

THE SIX DIRECTIONS

ANIMALS AND INSECTS

THE SACRED COLORS OF THE SIX DIRECTIONS

WEATHER, HOME, FAMILY & PLACES