Jump to content

Taos Pueblo

Coordinates: 36°26′21″N 105°32′44″W / 36.43917°N 105.54559°W / 36.43917; -105.54559
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the ancient Tiwa pueblo. For the census-designated place, see Taos Pueblo, New Mexico. For the book by Ansel Adams and Mary Hunter Austin, see Taos Pueblo (book).

Taos Pueblo
tə̂otho or tə̂obo
ȉałopháymųp’ȍhə́othə̀olbo or ȉałopháybo
Pueblo de Taos
Taos Pueblo In 2017
LocationTaos Pueblo, New Mexico, U.S.
Coordinates36°26′21″N 105°32′44″W / 36.43917°N 105.54559°W / 36.43917; -105.54559
Governing bodyNative American tribal government
Official namePueblo de Taos
TypeCultural
Criteriaiv
Designated1992 (16th session)
Reference no.492
RegionEurope and North America
DesignatedOctober 15, 1966
Reference no.66000496[1]
Area19 acres (7.7 ha)
ArchitecturePueblo
DesignatedOctober 9, 1960[2]
DesignatedMarch 13, 1972
Reference no.243
Taos Pueblo is located in New Mexico
Taos Pueblo
Location within New Mexico
Taos Pueblo is located in the United States
Taos Pueblo
Location within United States
Taos
t’óynemą
Total population
4,500 (2010 U.S. Census)
Regions with significant populations
 United States ( New Mexico)
Languages
Taos (Tiwa), English, Spanish
Religion
Taos religion (Pueblo religion), Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Other Tanoan peoples

Taos Pueblo (or Pueblo de Taos) is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos-speaking (Tiwa) Native American tribe of Puebloan people. It lies about 1 mile (1.6 km) north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico. The pueblos are one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States.[3] Taos Pueblo has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Taos Pueblo is a member of the Eight Northern Pueblos. A tribal land of 95,000 acres (38,000 ha) is attached to the pueblo, and about 4,500 people live in this area.[4]

Setting

[edit]

The pueblo was constructed in a setting backed by the Taos Mountains of the Sangre de Cristo Range. The settlement was built on either side of Rio Pueblo de Taos, also called Rio Pueblo and Red Willow Creek, a small stream that flows through the middle of the pueblo compound. Its headwaters come from Blue Lake, or Ba Whyea, in the nearby mountains.[5]

Taos Pueblo's most prominent architectural feature is a multi-storied residential complex of reddish-brown adobe, built on either side of the Rio Pueblo. The Pueblo's website states it was probably built between 1000 and 1450.[4]

The pueblo was designated a National Historic Landmark on October 9, 1960. In 1992 it was designated as a UNESCO Heritage Site. As of 2010, about 150 people live in the historical pueblo full-time.[6]

Name

[edit]

Taos language

[edit]

In the Tanoan language of Taos (Northern Tiwa), the pueblo is referred to as "the village" in either tə̂otho "in the village" (tə̂o- "village" + -tho "in") or tə̂obo "to/toward the village" (tə̂o- "village" + -bo "to, toward"). The proper name of the pueblo is ȉałopháymųp’ȍhə́othə̀olbo "at red willow canyon mouth" (or ȉałopháybo "at the red willows" for short).[7] This name is more commonly used in ceremonial contexts and is less common in everyday speech.[citation needed]

Spanish language

[edit]

The name Taos in English was borrowed from Spanish Taos. Spanish Taos is probably a borrowing of Taos tə̂o- "village" which was heard as tao to which the plural -s was added although in the modern language Taos is no longer a plural noun. It has been proposed that the Spanish Taos comes from tao, "cross of the order of San Juan de los Caballeros" (from Greek tau),[8] but that is unlikely to be the case.[citation needed]

History

[edit]

Pre-Columbian

[edit]

It is most likely that the Taos Indigenous people, along with other Pueblo Indigenous people, settled along the Rio Grande after migrating south from the Four Corners region.[6] The dwellings of that region were inhabited by the Ancestral Puebloans. A long drought in the area in the late 13th century may have caused them to move to the Rio Grande, where the water supply was more dependable. However, their reason for migrating is still disputed and there is evidence that a violent struggle took place. Ultimately, archeological clues point to the idea that the Natives may have been forced to leave.[citation needed]

Throughout its early years, Taos Pueblo was a central point of trade between the native populations along the Rio Grande and their Plains Tribes neighbors to the northeast. Taos Pueblo hosted a trade fair each fall after the agricultural harvest.[9]

Post-contact

[edit]

Spanish conquistadors first arrived at Taos Pueblo in 1540; they were members of the Francisco Vásquez de Coronado expedition, which stopped at many of New Mexico's pueblos in search of the rumored Seven Cities of Gold. Around 1620, Spanish Jesuits oversaw construction of the first Catholic Church in the pueblo, the mission of San Geronimo de Taos.[10] Reports from the period indicate that the native people of Taos resisted the building of the church and forceful imposition of the Catholic religion.[11] Throughout the 1600s, cultural tensions grew between the native populations of the Southwest and the increasing Spanish colonial presence. Taos Pueblo was no exception. By 1660, the native people killed the resident priest and destroyed the church.[12] The Spanish replied brutally. Several years after it was rebuilt, the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 began.[11]

US control and 1847 revolt

[edit]
Main article: Taos Revolt

During the Mexican-American War, New Mexico came under United States control after the Battle of Santa Fe in August 1846. Charles Bent was appointed as the American territorial governor. Many of the Taos Pueblo people and Hispanos feared that the new American regime would dispossess them of their land, especially since Bent had been involved in land-grant speculation schemes under the Mexican regime.[13][14] On January 19, 1847, Hispanos and Taos Pueblo people launched a rebellion against the US territorial government. Tomás Romero led a group of Taos Puebloans to Charles Bent's house in the town of Taos. The governor was shot with arrows, scalped, and killed.[15]

Following the death of Bent and several other Americans, Col. Sterling Price, commander of the US forces based in Santa Fe, led an expedition against the insurgents, defeating them at the Battle of Cañada on January 24. The rebels retreated inside Taos Pueblo, and Price bombarded the town and the church where the defenders were sheltering with artillery on February 3.[16] The next day, a hole was broken in the wall of the church to fire shells and grapeshot at those seeking refuge within. More than 150 people were killed during the attack.[16] Tomás Romero was summarily executed after US forces captured Taos Pueblo,[16] and other leaders of the revolt were later put on trial and executed by hanging. Further battles against US forces took place until July of that year.

Taos Mountain

[edit]
Residential adobe complex, and Taos Mountain pictured on an old postcard, circa 1930-1945.

The Pueblo's 48,000 acres (19,000 ha) of mountain land was taken by President Theodore Roosevelt and designated as the Carson National Forest early in the 20th century. It was finally returned in 1970 by the United States when the Republican Richard Nixon signed Democratic senator Fred Harris' Public Law 91-550.[17] An additional 764 acres (309 ha) south of the ridge between Simpson Peak and Old Mike Peak and west of Blue Lake were transferred back to the Pueblo in 1996.[18]

Blue Lake

[edit]

Blue Lake, which the people of the Pueblo consider sacred, was included in this return of Taos land. The Pueblo notably involved non-native people in lobbying the federal government for the return of Blue Lake, as they argued that their unrestricted access to the lake and the surrounding region was necessary to ensure their religious freedom.[19] The Pueblo's web site names the reacquisition of the sacred Blue Lake as the most important event in its history due to the spiritual belief that the Taos people originated from the lake.[20] It is believed that their ancestors live there,[21] and the Pueblos themselves only ascend the mountain for ceremonial purposes.[22]

Architecture

[edit]
Church, Pueblo de Taos (Ansel Adams—1941)

At the time of the Spaniards' initial contact, Hernando de Alvarado described the pueblo as having adobe houses built very close together and stacked five or six stories high. The homes became narrower as they rose, with the roofs of each level providing the floors and terraces for those above.[9]

The buildings at Taos originally had few windows and no standard doorways. Instead, access to rooms was through square holes in the roof that the people reached by climbing long, wooden ladders. Engelmann Spruce logs (or vigas) supported roofs that had layers of branches, grass, mud, and plaster covering them. The architecture and the building materials were well suited for the rigors of the environment and the needs of the people in the Taos Valley.[9]


The first Spanish-influenced architecture appeared in Taos Pueblo after Fray Francisco de Zamora came there in 1598 to establish a mission, under orders from Spanish Governor, Don Juan de Oñate.[9]

Main structure

[edit]
Pueblo de Taos — north side structure, circa 2005.

The north-side Pueblo is said to be one of the most photographed and painted buildings in North America.[23] It is the largest multistoried Pueblo structure still existing. It is made of adobe walls that are often several feet thick. Its primary purpose was for defense.[6] Up to as late as 1900, access to the rooms on lower floors was by ladders on the outside to the roof, and then down an inside ladder. In case of an attack, outside ladders could easily be pulled up.

Homes

[edit]

The homes in this structure usually consist of two rooms, one of which is for general living and sleeping, and the second of which is for cooking, eating, and storage. Each home is self-contained; there are no passageways between the houses. Taos Indians made little use of furniture in the past, but today they have tables, chairs, and beds. In the pueblo, electricity, running water, and indoor plumbing are prohibited.[6]

Spiritual community

[edit]
Landscape with pueblo through native cottonwood trees (Populus deltoides) (Ansel Adams—1941)

Religious practices

[edit]

Two spiritual practices are represented in the Pueblo: the original indigenous spiritual and religious tradition[4] and Roman Catholicism. The majority of Indigenous Taos continue to practice their still-vital and ancient religion.[6] Most (90%) members of the Taos Pueblo community are baptized as Roman Catholics.[4] Saint Jerome, or San Geronimo, is the patron saint of the pueblo.[24]

Culture

[edit]

Traditions involving the land

[edit]

Since Spanish colonization, the native Taos people have resisted cultural change and influence with European ideas.[25] Many ethnographers observe a high level of "interconnectedness and mutual dependence" between the Taos Pueblo and their surrounding land, where they derive many of their cultural traditions.[25] Consequently, a historical rivalry exists between the people on the South side of the river (summer people) and the North side (winter people). Foot races, which have significant religious meaning in the tribe, are a common way for these two groups to express their rivalry, and there is a long held tradition in their tribe that was possibly created before the pyramids.[26] In addition, the Taos Pueblo attribute great value to Blue Lake in regards to their "living culture and agricultural sustainability."[27]

Death traditions

[edit]

According to Wood, the Taos Pueblo people never turn strangers away from their doors because they value both courtesy and hospitality. However, on All Souls' Day, the Taos Pueblo spend a day with their families and close their village to any non-Indian.[26] The Taos Pueblo approach death with an air of "stoicism,"[26] and they are only allowed to visit cemeteries on All Souls' Day or the day of someone's burial.

Gender

[edit]

In the cultural fabric of the Taos Pueblo, the ethnographic data suggests that women are considered to be subordinate to men. The Pueblo social structure is dictated by kiva memberships, and women are not allowed to take part in the rituals held in these sacred spaces because they "are not trained" to do so. Despite the exclusion of women from some spiritual activities, the women in the Taos Pueblo society "exercised a considerable degree of influence economically, politically, and interpersonally."[28] For example, single women can run their own households, and married women control their own finances because they traditionally work as cooks or maids. Additionally, women have informal decision making power, using their abilities to influence the men around them.[28]

Conservation

[edit]

In 2011, the Taos Pueblo Preservation Program received a $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.[29] The fund aims to hire more workers, especially those who are trained in traditional construction techniques for conservation work, as well as workshop assistants who help pueblo homeowners with maintenance of traditional adobe homes. Supervisors teach trainees about traditional construction methods while rebuilding the majority of an 11-unit house which was in a state of near collapse.[30]

Taos Pueblo in 1936 showing hornos (clay ovens)

The first phase of the conservation of Taos Pueblo is the construction of the training center, restoration of 120 to 150 houses, training of the local people in the community, creation of a detailed assessment of the structure of the compound, and establishment of a cultural center and tribal archives. The second phase was financed by the World Monument Fund. It is listed on its watchlist because of its endangered nature, both culturally and structurally. By the end of the conservation efforts, twenty-one adobe houses are expected to be restored. The previous fund has also covered the cost of a laser scanning of the structures.[31]

The main characteristics of the conservation of Taos Pueblo aim to encourage a community-based approach. They include the training of local people to manage their own property, as well as the establishment of partnerships with government and non-government entities. The project resolves to preserve the traditional way of life in the community and sustain cultural traditions.[32]

In August 2020, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a grant of $899,754 awarded to the Taos Pueblo Housing Authority to rehabilitate five housing units to help reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19. The grant will also be used to provide rental, food, and utility assistance.[33]

Notable Taos Pueblo people

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "National Historic Landmarks Survey, New Mexico" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  3. ^ "Taos Pueblo" Archived July 12, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Taos website
  4. ^ a b c d "About Taos Pueblo". Taos Pueblo. 2012. Archived from the original on September 3, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  5. ^ Dzelzitis, Roz (June 1, 2002). "Taos Blue Lake". Sacred Land Film Project.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Pueblo de Taos". National Geographic Society. November 15, 2010. Archived from the original on November 21, 2010. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  7. ^ Sturtevant, William C. (1978). Handbook of North American Indians, Volume 9: Southwest. Government Printing Office. p. 267. ISBN 9780160045776. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  8. ^ Jones, William. (1960). "Origin of the place name Taos", Anthropological Linguistics, 2 (3), 2–4; Trager, George L. (1960). "The name of Taos, New Mexico", Anthropological Linguistics, 2 (3), 5–6.
  9. ^ a b c d "Taos Pueblo". National Park Service. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  10. ^ "National Park Service - Explorers and Settlers (Taos Pueblo)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Nomad, New Mexico (December 14, 2018). "New Mexico History : The Pueblo Revolt of 1680". New Mexico Nomad. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  12. ^ "San Geronimo de Taos - Spanish Missions/Misiones Españolas (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  13. ^ Crutchfield, James A. (2015). Revolt at Taos : the New Mexican and Indian insurrection of 1847. Westholme Publishing. p. 71.
  14. ^ Beyreis, David C. (Spring 2019). "Dangerous Alliances in the New Mexico Borderlands: Charles Bent and the Limits of Family Networks". Journal of the Early Republic. 39 (1): 57–80. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
  15. ^ Crutchfield, James A. (2015). Revolt at Taos : the New Mexican and Indian insurrection of 1847. Westholme Publishing. p. 73.
  16. ^ a b c Crutchfield, James A. (2015). Revolt at Taos : the New Mexican and Indian insurrection of 1847. Westholme Publishing. p. 92-97.
  17. ^ Julyan, B: New Mexico's Wilderness Areas: The Complete Guide, page 73. Big Earth Publishing, 1999
  18. ^ "Public Law 104-333" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 31, 2008. Retrieved July 19, 2008.
  19. ^ Bodine, John J. (1973). "Blue Lake: A Struggle for Indian Rights". American Indian Law Review. 1 (1): 23–32. doi:10.2307/20067803. JSTOR 20067803.
  20. ^ Keegan, Marcia (2010). Taos Pueblo and Its Sacred Blue Lake: Reflections on the Fortieth Anniversary from Members of Taos Pueblo. Clear Light Pub. ISBN 9781574160994.
  21. ^ "Taos Blue Lake". Indigenous Religious Traditions. November 14, 2011. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  22. ^ "ABOUT | Taos Pueblo". Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
  23. ^ Rodríguez, Sylvia (April 10, 2009). The Matachines Dance: A Ritual Dance of the Indian Pueblos and Mexicano/Hispano Communities. Sunstone Press. p. 17. ISBN 9780865346345. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
  24. ^ Scott, Sascha T. (2008). Paintings of Pueblo Indians and the Politics of Preservation in the American Southwest. p. 25. ISBN 9780549890423. Retrieved December 10, 2012.[permanent dead link‍]
  25. ^ a b Daniel Worden (2013). "Landscape Culture: Ansel Adams and Mary Austin's Taos Pueblo". Criticism. 55 (1): 69. doi:10.13110/criticism.55.1.0069. ISSN 0011-1589. S2CID 191421516.
  26. ^ a b c Wood, Nancy C. (1989). Taos pueblo (1st ed.). New York: Knopf. ISBN 0394560329. OCLC 18559229.
  27. ^ "Taos Pueblo". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
  28. ^ a b Katz, Pearl (1982). "Initiation Rites and the Status of Women at Taos Pueblo". Anthropos. 77 (5/6): 889–891. ISSN 0257-9774. JSTOR 40460534.
  29. ^ "Taos Pueblo". World Monuments Fund. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  30. ^ "Taos Pueblo". World Monuments Fund. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  31. ^ "Taos Pueblo". World Monuments Fund. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
  32. ^ Abdel Tawab, Ayman (July 24, 2013). "Sustainable conservation of traditional living communities: the case of Taos Pueblo in the United States of America". Sharing Cultures.
  33. ^ "$3.2M in housing grants go to NM pueblos". August 12, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2021.

References

[edit]
  • Bodine, John J (1996). Taos Pueblo: A Walk Through Time. Tucson: Rio Nuevo Publishers. ISBN 9781887896955.

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Park Service.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Wenger, Tisa Joy (2009). We Have a Religion: The 1920s Pueblo Indian Dance Controversy and American Religious Freedom. University of North Carolina Press. ISBN 9780807832622.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Taos Pueblo (community).
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pueblo de Taos (historic pueblo).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Taos_Pueblo&oldid=1259248276"