Before Coronado discovered New Mexico, before Cortez discovered old Mexico, even before Columbus discovered the “new world,” the Taos Pueblo was a settled and thriving community in northern New Mexico. The Pueblo, thought at first to be one of the fabled golden cities of Cibola, appeared to the first Spaniards who arrived very much as it does today.
Some of the buildings in Taos Pueblo reach as high as five stories. All are made of traditional adobe construction: earth and straw are mixed with water, then poured into forms that are dried into bricks. Huge timbers called vigas, brought from the nearby Sangre de Cristo mountains, support the roofing. Walls that are several feet thick provide insulation that holds heat in the winter and keeps the temperature down in the summer.
The Pueblo is actually many individual homes built side-by-side and in layers, with common walls but no connecting doorways. In earlier days there were no doors or windows, and entry was gained only from the top. Ladders from those early times are still in place and some are still in use.
The population of the Pueblo community is about 2,000, even though only about 100 people live in the original Pueblo today. Others live in modern homes surrounding the traditional village on ancestral lands in and around Taos, much of which is still in use as farmland.
Religion, old and older
San Geronimo, or St. Jerome, is the patron saint of the Pueblo. One of the first buildings visitors to the Pueblo see is the San Geronimo Church, a striking and much-photographed structure that was completed in 1850. It replaced the original church, which was built during the early colonization of the area in 1619. The ruins of that old building are still visible and overlook a historic graveyard.
The Taos Pueblo Indians are about 90 percent Catholic. However, traditional Indian rites are still practiced, which makes for a complex religion and explains the presence of both a church and kivas within the village. At the annual lighting of the fires on Christmas Eve and at the Deer Dance on Christmas Day, several thousand visitors get a rare look at the many layers of Pueblo religion and culture. No photos or documentation are allowed. Out of respect for the sacred traditions of the ceremonies, detailed descriptions are not written. But the public is welcome to visit the Pueblo and observe the rituals that are practiced in the old way. As dozens of fires are lit on Christmas Eve, and the moon rises behind the mountains, the setting is magical.
It is also very cold. As the fires die down, visitors quickly retreat to the village of Taos to home and hearth. But a few fortunate ones will be invited into a Pueblo home where holiday feasting will begin.
The cultural montage and the economy
Taos County is a montage of culture, language, and ethnicity. Tiwa, the language of the Pueblo, is one of many Indian dialects spoken in the area, along with English and Spanish. The tourist trade, arts, traditional crafts, and food concessions are important employment sources at the Pueblo. Pottery and silver jewelry made by Pueblo artisans is available for sale to visitors, as are moccasins, boots, and drums. And there are a growing number of contemporary Pueblo fine artists who combine Indian tradition with modern artistic expression. The works are exhibited not only by local art galleries, but some show nationally.
Connections to Southwestern Pueblos
According to the Pueblo website, “Taos is the northernmost of the nineteen New Mexico Pueblos. Our language is most closely related to that of Picuris, Isleta and Sandia Pueblos, but we are not related by blood. We traditionally trade with the Plains and other Pueblo Indians, particularly at our San Geronimo Day fair in September. A Pow Wow, held each July, brings Indians from many tribes to Taos for a Native American weekend of trade and social festivities.”
Pow Wow
The 22nd Taos Pueblo Pow Wow will be held July 11-13. The event draws Native American groups from across the United States who will dance and sing together and participate in a dance competition. Artisans and craftsmen will exhibit and sell their work, and there will be food booths featuring favorites like fry bread and roasted corn.
One of the outstanding features of the event is the setting. All dancing will take place within a circular brush arbor about 100 yards in diameter. It sits at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Singers and spectators sit under the arbor while the dancers show their talents in the center. The Pow Wow is open to the public. Visitors can not only observe all events, but many of the dances are “social” and everyone is invited to join in.
Around the arbor and on nearby Pueblo land visitors will camp for several days. The interaction among Native American groups and with other members of the community and their guests will infuse Taos County with positive energy throughout Pow Wow week.
Blue Lake
According to Pueblo sources, “The single most dramatic event in the recent history of Taos Pueblo was the 1970 return of 48,000 acres of mountain land, including the sacred Blue Lake. It was taken by the U.S. Government in 1906 to become part of the National Forest lands. Among the ritual sites where Taos people go for ceremonial reasons, Blue Lake is perhaps the most important. Its return is a tribute to the tenacity of Pueblo leaders and to the community’s commitment to guarding its lands for the spiritual, cultural and economic health of the Pueblo.”
The land base of the Pueblo is about 99,000 acres today — much of it accessible to visitors — but Blue Lake is off-limits to all but members of the Pueblo.
When is the Pueblo open to visitors?
The Pueblo is generally open to visitors daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., except when tribal rituals require closing. Guided tours are available at regular intervals. Late winter to early spring the Pueblo closes for about ten weeks. Visitors may call ahead (575-758-1028) to get information on tours.
—Story by Sam Richardson
