The tribes that populate the Southwestern United States are the most traditional of Native Americans. Compromising a region from Texas to the Pacific Coast and from Utah-Colorado to the Mexican border, the Southwestern tribes have survived centuries in some of the most rugged and arid country of the America by holding firm to their cultures.

The tribes that makeup Southwestern Native Americans can be broken into the groupings of the Pueblos, Navajos, Apaches, Tohono O’odham, and California Indians.

The Pueblos are primarily concentrated in New Mexico with the Hopi in Arizona and Ysleta Del Sur in Texas. The pueblos are heavily steeped in traditional culture and continue their ceremonies to this day. Some even live in adobe buildings that are centuries old. Still, they have been very progressive in their economic development efforts and are beginning to see solid success.

The Navajos are the second largest tribe in the United States and have the largest tribal land mass. Their borders extend from New Mexico through all of Northern Arizona and over half of the tribal population lives on the reservation. The tribe has many unique tribal programs in utilities, agriculture, and tourism, unlike any other tribe in the US.

Apaches tribes are based in Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona. Culturally, the tribes are as diverse as the lands they live on. The Jicarilla, White Mountain, and Mescalero Apache live in heavily forested areas that at one time supported a strong lumber industry and now offer them a tourism trade. There are two tribes in Oklahoma- the Fort Sill Apache (historically from Arizona and New Mexico) and the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma. Then there are San Carlos Apache living in a more arid Southeastern Arizona region. They have recently begun their own Apache Nation Chamber of Commerce.

The Tohono O’odham (formerly known as Pima and Papago) range land throughout Southern Arizona. With a strong history as a desert people they continue to thrive. With a proximity to Phoenix and Tucson metro areas, their economic developments efforts are phenomenal. These funds help assist tribes with cultural preservation efforts among other services.

California tribes are small. The rancherias are small as the federal government terminated many groups and then the remaining population had to reapply for federal recognition. Mission Band of Indians were historically small but kept treaty rights throughout the nineteenth and twentieth history. Regardless, this leaves many groups small but large in number of groups. There are 108 federally recognized tribes in California.

So, as one can see the Native Americans of the Southwest range from among the smallest to the some of the largest of tribes. They also have an impact in every state they reside.