Indian Pueblos

While the nomadic lifestyle of the plains Indians left little hard evidence of their history, the Pueblo Indians left behind a great deal of archaeological evidence. This shows that Pueblo living once stretched across New Mexico and into parts of Colorado and Arizona. It is lifestyle that has not completely died out but it is now largely confined to New Mexico.  A total of 19 Pueblos remain active, some very commercialised and others very traditional. It is worth visiting some of the Pueblos not just for the culture, but also to gain a better understanding of the ancient ruins at places like Chaco Canyon. However it is worth remembering that the Pueblos may not be quite as authentic as they seem,  many of the people no longer live in the buildings, their main residence is a modern house nearby.

Pueblo of Acoma

Acoma Pueblo was built on the top of a 111 metre (367 foot) high mesa in order to protect it from enemies.  The  Pueblo would have been very difficult to capture courtesy of the steep sides of the mesa and access then limited to a staircase hand-carved into the sandstone. The residents could survive sieges courtesy of water cisterns cut into the mesa top. Due to its commanding view of the surrounding landscape to distant mountains, it is also known as Sky City. Nowadays the Pueblo is a centre of big business, with a complex that provides entertainment,  a casino, hotel and restaurants. Fortunately the complex has not been built in the Pueblo, which is now a National Historical Landmark. Click Tab 2 to see a water cistern.

San Estevan del Ray Mission & Pueblo of Acoma

It is thought that people have lived on the mesa top since before the 12th century. When the Spanish arrived, the Acoma Indians were not inclined to accept their rule. In 1598 they massacred most of a party of 30 Spanish soldiers who had stopped for supplies. In early 1599 Spanish returned to avenge the massacre with just 70 soldiers defeating more than 1,000 warriors to take Acoma. The  Spanish always followed up their conquests by spreading Christianity among the native people and Acoma was no exception. San Esteban del Rey Mission was built in 1629 by Franciscans from Mexico City.  The church, with its distinctive twin towers is visible to the right of this picture. It is still in active use.

Laguna Pueblo

Close to the old Route 66 are six villages, Laguna, Paguate, Encinal, Mesita, Seama and Paraje, which make up the Pueblo of Laguna. Around 8,000 people live in the Pueblo and the village of Laguna is the political centre. Laguna in Spanish means ‘Lake’. but the lake that gave it the name has long since become meadow land. The picturesque white adobe  Mission San José de Laguna is visible in the centre of this picture. It was built in 1699.

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Taos Pueblo

This is the largest surviving multi-storied Pueblo structure in the USA.  Its exact age is  unknown,  but it is thought that the buildings date back to before 1450 AD. Taos Pueblo was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. The Pueblo was admitted by the United Nations to the ‘World Heritage List’ in 1992. The adobe buildings require constant maintenance and although the walls of all of these buildings will have been repaired many times, it is one of the best places to get a feel for how the ancient Pueblos would have looked in their heyday. Of about 1,900 people living on pueblo lands, about 150 still live in the actual Pueblo. Click Tab 2 to see the San Geronimo Chapel at Taos Pueblo.

Adobe buildings, Taos Pueblo, Taos, NM, USA
Pueblo of Acoma, NM, USA
San Estevan del Ray Mission & Pueblo of Acoma, NM, USA
Laguna Pueblo, NM, USA

Pueblo of San Ildefonso

This picture highlights one aspect of visiting Pueblos - Rules and Regulations.  Each of the 19 Pueblos sets its own, for example  some allow photography, some charge for it and some prohibit it. You will find that you can not wander round wherever you want as parts of each pueblo are closed to the public. The large white sign in this picture spells out the Rules & Regulations that apply in the Pueblo of San Ildefonso.  The people here are believed to be descendants  of the Mesa Verde Anasazi. The traditional pottery of the  Pueblo has a distinctive black-on-black style. San Ildefonso pottery was revived in the 1920s and is now very popular. Click Tab 2 to see the Rules and Regulations.

Pueblo of San Ildefonso, NM, USA

 

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- A fascinating insight into the lives past and present of American Indians in New Mexico.
- There is an element of fakery as virtually all of the ‘residents’ have modern homes to retire to at night.
- It is fine to have rules for visitors to your property, but no need to announce them on large placards.
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