Seek To Experience: Northern New Mexico Pueblo Culture
Seek To Experience: Northern New Mexico Pueblo Culture
By Marka Smith
Culturally speaking, the unique landscape of Northern New Mexico is rooted in the traditions of the Pueblo people, and the Spanish who arrived here four centuries ago. The later influx of English speaking Americans contributed to this area becoming a destination, permanent or temporary, for a cultural milieu of writers, artists, photographers and their patrons.
Aaron & Stetson Honyumptewa, Tesuque Pueblo, Tesuque, New Mexico; Photo © 2010 Northern New Mexico Art Catalogue
When considering the history of culture in this region, one cannot separate the people from the land. The pueblos have been inhabited for over a thousand years. (Nomadic pre-historic Indians first inhabited the region some 12,000 to 30,000 years ago. Their descendants, the Pueblo Indians, began to establish villages between 1200 and 1500 B.C.1) The tribes of Northern New Mexico were never displaced and relocated in the way other Native Americans were, providing an unbroken lineage of place.
As an observer of their rituals and art, one can see and feel the bond between the people and the natural world. The cycles of the seasons are still honored. The spiritual wisdom, strength and inspiration gained through this symbiotic relationship with nature are precious qualities of life worthy of embracing. As we develop new technologies to support the billions of people who inhabit this planet, it is good to take time to reconnect with the magnificent creative design of nature as our greatest teacher and caretaker.
Standing in a crowd at the Deer Dances at Taos Pueblo one Christmas Day, I overheard a tourist ask her companion, “What does it symbolize?” Perhaps it doesn’t “symbolize” anything, but rather creates for the dancers a tangible connection with their Creator, a direct experience of being united with the creative forces of our planet. An Hawaiian elder I knew once said, “Seek not to possess, but to experience.” Spoken two decades ago, I still reflect upon her wise words.
Take time to visit the pueblos of Northern New Mexico. Leave your camera and ordinary thinking behind; bring only your reverence, respect, and an open heart and mind. You might find yourself connecting in a new way.
1 http://santafe.org/Visiting_Santa_Fe/Art/Native_American_Arts/
Related Links: About Northern New Mexico Pueblo Culture
Go Realty Santa Fe – Profiles of the Pueblos
SantaFe.org – Eight Northern New Mexico Pueblos Information
Museums and Cultural Centers
The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture
The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian
Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau – Native American Arts Information
Indian Pueblos Cultural Center
IAIA (Institute of American Indian Arts) Museum
Marka Smith is an artist, graphic designer (for print and web) and writer, with many years of experience in event production for performing arts and educational presentations. Her pastels, jewelry, and graphic design work can be seen at www.spokenfire.com. Contact her at marka@greenroadsrealty.com
Beautifully written!