The Jumano Indians

"The Jumano Indians" by Frederick Webb Hodge is an examination into the story of the Jumano people, an important group during the time of exploration and early settlement in the Southwestern United States. It's a look at how they lived, what happened when they met European explorers, and the unknown reasons why their numbers went down. Hodge puts together stories from explorers from hundreds of years ago who met the Jumano people. These stories tell about their way of life, which included farming, unique social customs, and how they prepared food. The book follows the tribe as they moved around the Rio Grande, covering current New Mexico and Texas, explaining their relationships with religious leaders and what happened because of colonization. Hodge brings up interesting questions about what happened to the tribe, suggesting that they may have changed their way of life, joined other tribes, and lost their distinct identity in the process.