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Britannica Sources used in this answer

Which Indigenous peoples of the Southwest spoke Athabaskan languages?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Map showing the distribution of Indigenous peoples and their lands in the American Southwest, with labeled areas for groups such as the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Apache, Pima, Yuma, Mojave, and others, along with major rivers and reservation boundaries.
Indigenous peoples of the American Southwest

The Navajo and the Apache are the Indigenous peoples of the American Southwest who spoke Athabaskan languages.1

These groups migrated to the Southwest from northwestern North America, likely arriving between 1100 and 1500 CE. While the Navajo traditionally lived on the Colorado Plateau, the Apache resided in the basin and range systems located south of the plateau. Major Apache tribes included the Western Apache, Chiricahua, Mescalero, Jicarilla, Lipan, and Kiowa Apache.1