ABOUT TAOS PUEBLO

HOW OLD IS TAOS PUEBLO?
The people of the Taos Pueblo community have lived and cared for this land for millennia.  To us our ancestors are not a far off concept from a book, but a continuous root that leads to today; we are connected to the Taos valley. Taos Pueblo is one of the oldest living and continuously inhabited communities in the the United States.  The people of the community have cultivated the Taos valley area since 900 AD (approximately).  Ruins and petroglyphs off tribal lands, indicate the Taos Valley has been occupied for thousands of years.  The multi-storied adobe homes of the people of Taos Pueblo are estimated to have been constructed between 1000 and 1450 A.D.  Our homes appear the same today as they did in there original construction. The first Spanish explorers arrived in Northern New Mexico in 1547 and believed that the Pueblo was one of the fabled golden cities of Cibola. Today,  the two structures called Hlauuma (north house) and Hlaukwima (south house) are the original constructed homes as the single or double storied homes surrounding are from latter years.

HOW WERE THE BUILDINGS CONSTRUCTED?
The Pueblo is made entirely of adobe — earth mixed with water and straw, then either poured into forms or made into sun-dried bricks.  The roofs of each of the five stories are supported by large timbers — vigas — hauled down from the mountain forests. Smaller pieces of wood — pine or aspen latillas — are placed side-by-side on top of the vigas; the roof is made up of complex layers of natural materials designed for water resistance, influx of weight, the dry aired climate, and the impacts of a multi-season climate. The outside surfaces of the Pueblo are continuously maintained by replastering with thick layers of mud straw mixture. Interior walls are carefully coated with thin washes of white earth to keep them clean and bright.  Each home is owned by an individual family and all responsibility to maintain the home in a traditional fashion is their responsibility.

WHO LIVES IN THE PUEBLO?
Tribal members live within the traditional village area.  The number of people who occupy their homes is 75 (approximately). Families predominantly live on the external lands, surrounding the traditional pueblo area.  These homes are modern with modern amenities as the traditional pueblo area does not allow. Basically, families have a modern home where they live with modern conveniences and another home where they connected to their origins.

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THE PUEBLO CHURCH?
The present San Geronimo, or St. Jerome, Chapel was completed in 1850 to replace the original church which was destroyed in the Mexican American War, specifically the Taos Revolt of 1847. That church, the ruins still evident on the west side of the village, was first built in 1619. It was then destroyed in the Spanish Revolt of 1680 but soon rebuilt on the same site. St. Jerome is the patron saint of Taos Pueblo.

HOW IS THE PUEBLO GOVERNED?

The equivalent to a president or state governor, the Governor and the Warchief hold different roles and responsibilities to and for the community.  Governor is responsible for interaction with the federal government and other agencies in response to protections for the people of Taos Pueblo. Warchief is responsible for the interaction with the federal government and other agencies in response to protections for the land.

Although we live in this contemporary time, there are roles and responsibilities of each government office. Traditional responsibilities relate to the physical space.  Governor cares for the traditional pueblo village, ensuring  the culture of the people is respected.  War chief cares for the land and ensures cultural practices in relation to the land are maintained and upheld.

All government positions are appointed one year terms. Appointments are given from the Tribal Council.  Council is a collective of men in the community who have served as previous Warchiefs and/or Governors, making council the largest group for a government entity, in the community, they serve life long terms.  Just like governments elsewhere,  this group controls progress and policy of Taos Pueblo.

WHAT IS BLUE LAKE?
Blue lake is a glacier cirque lake, located on tribal lands, today.  In 1906, the lake was taken by Theodore Roosevelt, like many other Native American sacred sites, and placed into the National Forest Lands registry.   Blue lake is revered as a sacred area to the people.  When it was taken, there was a loss that was so detrimental to the commnity, the fight for Blue Lake is revered as a exceptional turn in how the Federal Government and Native American tribes created policy.  Its return is a tribute to the tenacity of Taos Pueblo leaders and to the community’s commitment to guarding its lands for the spiritual, cultural and economic health of the Pueblo. The return of this land capped a long history of struggle.

*Currently all tribal lands beyond the traditional pueblo area are off limits to any visitors/tourists.

WHAT LANGUAGE IS SPOKEN AT TAOS PUEBLO?
Tiwa is our native language. English and Spanish are also spoken.

HOW LARGE IS THE TAOS PUEBLO LAND?
The land base is 99,000 acres with an elevation of 7,200 feet at the village.

WHAT HANDMADE TAOS WARES ARE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE?
Mica-flecked pottery and silver jewelry are made by local artisans and sold at many of the individually owned curio shops within the Pueblo. The Taos Indians, being great hunters, are also famous for their work with animal skins — moccasins, boots and drums. There are a growing number of contemporary Pueblo fine artists, combining Indian tradition with modern artistic expression. The outstanding Taos Pueblo trademark is the natural look, that is, the enhancement of natural material appearance without additional coloration.

WHEN IS THE PUEBLO OPEN TO VISITORS?
The Pueblo is generally open to visitors daily from 9 am to 4 pm, except when ceremonies require closing Taos Pueblo. Annually, Taos Pueblo closes late winter/early spring for eight weeks. Please view the Event Calendar

HOW CONNECTED IS TAOS PUEBLO TO OTHER INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN THE SOUTHWEST?
Taos is the northernmost of the nineteen New Mexico Pueblos. Our language is closely related to that of Picuris, Isleta and Sandia Pueblos, but we are not related by blood. We traditionally trade with the Native American communities, particularly at our San Geronimo Day Feast Day (celebration) in September.

HOW DOES TAOS PUEBLO VIEW THE FUTURE?
As a sovereign nation within the United States, preserving our ancient traditions in the face of advancement of “modernization” is our prime concern. We are encouraged by an increased population of tribal members choosing to remain in Taos, as well as by these actions acknowledging Taos’ important cultural heritage: Taos declared a National Historic landmark in 1965; Blue Lake returned to Taos in 1970; Taos Pueblo admitted to the World Heritage Society in 1992 as one of the most significant historical cultural landmarks in the world (other sites include the Taj Mahal, Great Pyramids and the Grand Canyon in the United States).

Taos Pueblo Governor’s Office governor@taospueblo.com 575 758-9593
Taos Pueblo War Chief’s Office warchief@taospueblo.com 575 758-3883
Taos Pueblo Tourism Department tourism@taospueblo.com 575 758-1028