This morning, we visited the Taos Pueblo, the oldest continuously inhabited structure in North America. This is a World Heritage Site, on par with the great pyramids of Egypt, and the Taj Mahal in India. There are about 190 permanent residents who live in the same manner as their ancestors did in the year 1100. Village rules prohibit running water and electricity. Many tribal members come to the pueblo for ceremonies, and maintain apartments there which they use occasionally.
The village is constructed entirely of adobe. Mud is mixed with straw, and placed into forms in which it is dried into bricks. The bricks are then stacked to create walls, which are then covered in the mud and straw mixture. The pueblo buildings are up to four stories high, and are original. Roofs are constructed of large timbers, which support a bed of small cross-timbers of aspen wood. Earth is then piled on top of smaller timbers. The thick walls provide excellent insulation. There are fireplaces in each room, many of which were in use to ward off the early morning chill.
The Pueblo Indians – (That's the term they use.) - welcome visitors, who must pay admission. They also charge for each camera and cell phone brought in. There are strict rules – no photographing of individuals without their permission, and keep out of marked prohibited areas.
Many of the pueblo's apartments have been set up as shops for Indian – produced art. We must have entered 20 of them, all staffed by the artists, themselves. The people are friendly and engaging. They are most proud of their high levels of artistic skill in silversmithing and pottery making. ( The native pottery is made with a micascious red clay that takes on an iridescent quality after firing.) The merchandise is of exquisite quality and includes cowhide drums, silver and turquoise jewelry, and leatherwork. Donna bought a small ritual doll known as a wa-te whose function is to ward off evil spirits. Hopefully, the doll will protect us from further manifestations of evil spirits such as tornadoes and ticks, at least for the balance of this trip!.
The interior rooms of the pueblo are cleanly white-washed inside. There are propane-powered lamps hanging from the ceilings, and wood stoves in the kitchens. Outside are domed, wood-fired ovens that are still used for baking.
We started our tour at the Church of San Geronimo, which was built in 1850 to replace an earlier church that was constructed by Spanish missionaries in 1619. The people of the Taos Pueblo were forced into Catholicism and slavery in order to become “civilized”. This eventually led to the Pueblo revolt of 1680, in which the Indians prevailed over their Spanish conquerors. Fifteen years later, the Spanish came in with an army and “re-conquered” the Indians. (The influence of the Spanish lives on as 90% of the Pueblo Indians identify themselves as Catholic. They continue to practice their native beliefs, which are said not to be in conflict with Catholicism.) These beliefs are held in strict secrecy, and center around Mother Nature. Weekly masses are held in the Pueblo's church by a priest from Taos.
Next, we visited the cemetery, which is built around and on the ruins of the original San Geronimo Church. We then walked to the four-story “North House”, which consists of multiple individual homes that share common walls, but no connecting doorways. It looks very much as it did at the time of the Spanish conquest, except at that time, there were no exterior doors. All entrances were from above, and necessitated the use of ladders.
The lively fragrance of sage and cedar suffused the interiors of many of the shops. Bundles of these materials are sold as “smudge”, and are used as part of a purification ritual.
Our time at this fascinating and special place is something we will remember for the rest of our lives. Being there and interacting with the people truly conveyed a sense of walking with the ancients. The fact they have been able to preserve their culture despite the attempted cultural genocide perpetrated by the Spanish and the Americans over the centuries is truly remarkable. To a person, they convey a sense of peace and happiness.
After returning to the trailer to give poor Cooper a break, we drove back to the San Francisco de Asis plaza to have lunch at the Rancho de Taos Restaurant, housed in an original adobe Spanish hacienda (c. 1830) building. The place is renowned for its authentic Southwestern cuisine, especially the chili dishes. We both had carne adovada enchiladas, stacked. Pork is marinated in a mixture of chilies and then grilled. It is served with sauces featuring chilies grown here in New Mexico. Donna's was served with red/green combination chili sauce, and mine was made with green chilies. This was served with a puffy fry-bread known as sopapilla that came with a jar of honey. (Sopapilla is a much a staple of the New Mexican diet as the tortilla.) This was an outstanding and memorable Southwestern meal.
We spent the late afternoon wandering through downtown Taos, which is considered historic. There were many interesting art galleries, candle stores, and tourist emporiums. Really nothing special.
Tomorrow, we move the trailer to Santa Fe, where we will stay for four days.
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