The Zuni Nation is said to have originated from the Anasazi, a people who lived in the same region over 1,000 years prior to the coming of the Europeans. Although culturally related to other Pueblo tribes, they speak a unique language that bares no resemblance to other Pueblo languages. This linguistic isolation is reminiscent of the Basque of Europe, who speak a language that is in its own distinct linguistic group.
To collectors of ethnic art, the Zuni are best known for their stone-inlay and needle-point stone work, especially in jewelry.