About Jumano Indian Jewelry

The Jumano were three separate tribes of Native Americans living in the Texas area who generally stayed in the middle and west sides of the state. These tribes grew their own food and lived off the land. They were also farmers who believed in respecting nature and wore little decoration.

Features

The Jumano tribe believed in only taking from nature what they needed to survive. When they did take something, they used every part of it, which explains why most of their jewelry was created using bones and shells. They found the shells on the beaches in Texas, while the bones came from animals they killed for food and clothing. A number of pieces they created were traded to the European settlers for things the tribe needed.

Identification

Many pieces of Jumano jewelry that was kept within the tribe rather than traded was created with pearls from the ocean. The people thought the pearl had special qualities and traded black obsidian, which they could easily find, for the pearls that nearby Pueblo groups collected. Later, they began using turquoise in some of their pieces after seeing other Native Americans doing the same things. They also used natural beads and feathers in some of their designs.

Geography

There were three major groups of Jumano Indians living in various areas of Texas. At the height of their population, the group was divided into seven different locations. They were located near two major rivers in this area, the Rio Concho and the Rio Grande. This gave them easy access to black obsidian, which they could trade for different materials. The Jumano stayed in this area for centuries, unlike other tribes that were pushed west by settlers.

Function

Jumano jewelry was used during the tribe for their ceremonial rituals and as decoration during those rituals, though they seldom wore the jewelry during daily activities. They also believed that material possessions meant very little and were quick to trade what they did own for other things. Only rare pieces made from pearls harvested in southern Texas were kept, because those meant something special to the tribe. Pieces made with other materials were frequently traded to settlers and other tribes.

Type

One type of jewelry created by the Jumano tribe was created specifically for trading. They made items out of black obsidian and traded those pieces to explorers for horses and to other Indian tribes for pearls. The second type of jewelry was created using the pearls they acquired. This jewelry was often passed from generation to generation and brought out only during special events like ceremonies. It was considered the best of the jewelry they produced.