The Zuni Enigma: A Native American People's Possible Japanese Connection

by Nancy Yaw Davis

"A stunning and carefully supported argument that should stir useful discussion.... [An] exciting, groundbreaking work."― Booklist Did a group of thirteenth-century Japanese merge with the people, language, and religion of the Zuni tribe? For many years, anthropologists have understood the Zuni in the American Southwest to occupy a special place in Native American culture and ethnography. Their language, religion, and blood type are startlingly different from all other tribes. Most puzzling, the Zuni appear to have much in common with the people of Japan. In a book with groundbreaking implications, Dr. Nancy Yaw Davis examines the evidence underscoring the Zuni enigma and suggests the circumstances that may have led Japanese on a religious quest―searching for the legendary "middle world" of Buddhism―across the Pacific to the American Southwest more than seven hundred years ago. 72 black and white illustrations and 17 maps

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Japan

Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's an interesting idea, but unfortunately Davis' theory breaks down when it comes to language (and may in other areas I'm not qualified to comment on). Japanese and Zuni becoming mutually unintelligible -- and with no demonstrable sound correspondences -- in only a few centuries? That's highly unlikely. I can't help but think Davis is confusing typologically common features (like a 5-vowel system) or word order with historically inherited features.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't tell if this is a textbook. If it is, it's interesting. If not, well, it reads like a textbook.

Interesting hypothesis, that Japanese emigrants crossed the Pacific, landed in California, and eventually made their way to where Zuni people lived 700 years ago.

I'm not an anthropologist, so it was very interesting to me how the science of anthropology uses logic. I'm impressed by how many fields they need to understand, e.g. dental morphology, linguistics, history of Asian migrations, etc. Much of that was new to me, so I enjoyed reading those parts.

I was left with two big questions: Why aren't there more traces of Japanese migrants between the California coast and the Southwest? And why did the Japanese choose the trans-Pacific route?

This is a book which I skimmed in places because I have other things to read that are a higher priority to me than details of Zuni syntax. If you are, than this is the book you've been waiting for! But even if you aren't, it's worth siting down with for a while.

[Bruce Mendelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has an interesting hypothesis of a Japanese-Native American connection. I am a Buddhist and also read a lot of Native American literature. There are many similarities in some native American spiritual values and Buddhist values. The author gives evidence of a Japanese, Buddhist influence on Native American culture that occurred in the thirteenth century. She presents some interesting Zuni and develops a decent argument. However, her studies were performed modern molecular genetic techniques were developed. Molecular genetic evidence does no support her hypothesis. I give the author credit for hard work and a good writing style. That's why I gave it 4 stars. However, it is hard to recommend this strongly due to the current evidence.

[Nmnjhhlhlh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did Japanese sailors shipwreck 100s of years ago on the American west coast? Maybe.

This book is a good read for anyone with an interest in Japanese or Native American culture. It provides some interesting ideas.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author makes an interesting and pretty convincing case for Japanese travelers making their way (accidentally or on purpose--probably both over the course of the centuries) to North America by boat and integrating into Native American societies. She focuses on the Zuni of New Mexico, in whom she sees an especially strong Japanese influence. Her larger purpose, though, is to make the general case for modes of arrival other than the Bering land bridge for Native American inhabitants. She feels that anthropologists have been unduly fixated during the 20th century (the book was written in the 1990's) on that one entry point, to the point that the prevailing hypothesis for population of the Americas included no other points of entry or means of arrival. She feels that that hypothesis (peopling of the Americas beginning in Alaska, with populations gradually migrating south from there) flies in the face of LOTS of existing evidence to the contrary and is overly simplistic.

[Maren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the premise of this book was very interesting and compelling. At times the writing seemed somewhat juvenile -- kind of like a high school paper where the last paragraph of the paper/chapter is a simple summary. However, I think she is thorough in her exploration of the possibilities of a Japanese connection with the Zuni, and I hope her book spawns more research on the subject.