Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo tə̂otho or tə̂obo ȉałopháymųp’ȍhə́othə̀olbo or ȉałopháybo Pueblo de Taos | |
---|---|
tribal government | |
Official name | Pueblo de Taos |
Type | Cultural |
Criteria | iv |
Designated | 1992 (16th session) |
Reference no. | 492 |
Region | Europe and North America |
Designated | October 15, 1966 |
Reference no. | 66000496[1] |
Area | 19 acres (7.7 ha) |
Architecture | Pueblo |
Designated | October 9, 1960[2] |
Designated | March 13, 1972 |
Reference no. | 243 |
t’óynemą | |
---|---|
Total population | |
4,500 ( Tanoan peoples |
Taos Pueblo (or Pueblo de Taos) is an ancient
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
The pueblo was constructed in a setting backed by the
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
Name
Taos language
In the
Spanish language
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. The idea that the Spanish Taos is from tao, "cross of the order of San Juan de los Caballeros" (from Greek tau), is unlikely.[8]
History
Pre-Columbian
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
Post-contact
Spanish conquistadors first arrived at Taos Pueblo in 1540; they were members of the
Taos Mountain
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 President Nixon signed Public Law 91-550.[13] 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.[14]
Blue Lake
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.[15] 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.[16] It is believed that their ancestors live there,[17] and the Pueblos themselves only ascend the mountain for ceremonial purposes.[18]
Architecture
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.
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
The north-side Pueblo is said to be one of the most photographed and painted buildings in North America.[19] 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
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
Spiritual community
Religious practices
Two spiritual practices are represented in the Pueblo: the
Culture
Traditions involving the land
Since Spanish colonization, the native Taos people have resisted cultural change and influence with European ideas.[21] 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.[21] 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.[22] In addition, the Taos Pueblo attribute great value to Blue Lake in regards to their "living culture and agricultural sustainability."[23]
Death traditions
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.[22] The Taos Pueblo approach death with an air of "stoicism,"[22] and they are only allowed to visit cemeteries on All Souls' Day or the day of someone's burial.
Gender
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."[24] 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.[24]
Conservation
In 2011, the Taos Pueblo Preservation Program received a $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.[25] 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.[26]
The first phase of the conservation of Taos Pueblo is the construction of the training center, restoration of 120–150 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.[27]
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.[28]
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.[29]
See also
- Elk-Foot of the Taos Tribe
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Taos County, New Mexico
- List of National Historic Landmarks in New Mexico
- List of the oldest buildings in New Mexico
Notes
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "National Historic Landmarks Survey, New Mexico" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
- ^ "Taos Pueblo" Archived July 12, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Taos website
- ^ a b c d "About Taos Pueblo". Taos Pueblo. 2012. Archived from the original on September 3, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
- ^ Dzelzitis, Roz (June 1, 2002). "Taos Blue Lake". Sacred Land Film Project.
- ^ 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.
- ISBN 9780160045776. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d "Taos Pueblo". National Park Service. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
- ^ "National Park Service - Explorers and Settlers (Taos Pueblo)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ a b Nomad, New Mexico (December 14, 2018). "New Mexico History : The Pueblo Revolt of 1680". New Mexico Nomad. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ "San Geronimo de Taos - Spanish Missions/Misiones Españolas (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ Julyan, B: New Mexico's Wilderness Areas: The Complete Guide, page 73. Big Earth Publishing, 1999
- ^ "Public Law 104-333" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 31, 2008. Retrieved July 19, 2008.
- JSTOR 20067803.
- ISBN 9781574160994.
- ^ "Taos Blue Lake". Indigenous Religious Traditions. November 14, 2011. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ "ABOUT | Taos Pueblo". Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ISBN 9780865346345. Retrieved December 10, 2012.
- ]
- ^ S2CID 191421516.
- ^ OCLC 18559229.
- ^ "Taos Pueblo". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved June 30, 2019.
- ^ JSTOR 40460534.
- ^ "Taos Pueblo". World Monuments Fund. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ "Taos Pueblo". World Monuments Fund. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ^ "Taos Pueblo". World Monuments Fund. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ Abdel Tawab, Ayman (July 24, 2013). "Sustainable conservation of traditional living communities: the case of Taos Pueblo in the United States of America".
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(help) - ^ "$3.2M in housing grants go to NM pueblos". August 12, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
References
- Bodine, John J (1996). Taos Pueblo: A Walk Through Time. Tucson: Rio Nuevo Publishers. ISBN 9781887896955.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Park Service.
Further reading
- 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.
External links
- Official website
- Indianpueblo.org—Indian Pueblo Cultural Center: Taos Pueblo
- unesco.org: Taos Pueblo — UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
- Sacredland.org: Taos Blue Lake
- Princeton.edu: Taos Blue Lake Collection — at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University.
- National Park Service—NPS: Taos Pueblo — on NPS "Discover Our Shared Heritage" website.
- SMU-in-Taos: Research Publications digital collection — SMU-in-Taos (Fort Burgwin) campus; anthropological + archaeological monographs + edited volumes.