Moqui

Moqui is a term with several uses in the context of the American Southwest, including ethnography, geology, and place names. It is most often encountered as an historical exonym rather than a contemporary designation.

Ethnographic usage

Historically, explorers and settlers used Moqui to refer to the Hopi and, more broadly, to Puebloan peoples of the Southwest. In modern usage, the term is generally considered outdated or inappropriate by many Indigenous communities and scholars, who prefer the specific identifiers Hopi or Pueblo. The exact origin of the word is uncertain, and it has appeared in a range of 19th- and early 20th-century writings.

Moqui marbles

Moqui marbles, also called Moqui balls, are iron oxide concretions found in desert rocks of the Colorado Plateau, notably within the Navajo Sandstone of southern Utah and nearby areas. These spherical or oblong nodules typically measure a few centimeters in diameter and form when mineral-rich groundwater precipitates iron oxide around a core during diagenesis. They often weather out from bedrock into desert pavements and surface gravels, where they may be encountered by hikers and geologists alike. The name Moqui marbles stems from their association in historical accounts with local Indigenous peoples, though the geological formation itself is natural and not anthropogenic.

Modern usage

Today, the term Moqui appears mainly in historical, geological, and tourism-related contexts. It is less common in contemporary scholarship when referring to Indigenous groups, where Hopi or Pueblo are preferred. As a name with multiple senses, Moqui reflects both human history and natural geology in the Southwest.