The Taos Pueblo

In New Mexico the term pueblo can mean several different things. Pueblo can refer to the adobe dwelling lived in by some Native Americans in the the southwestern US, it can refer to a village or community of Native Americans designated as Pueblos by the King of Spain before the territory was ceded to the US, or it can refer to the inhabitants of the Native American pueblos. The Taos Pueblo is an ancient adobe dwelling place, approximately 1,000 years old still inhabited by Native Americans. Since most of New Mexico is adobe buildings, new and old you would almost not know it was there except for the blocked road and sign instructing visitors to the registration center. As I learned on the tour introduction the ancient pueblo is now home to about 50 people. Another 2,800 are part of the Pueblo community and live outside the walls of the ancient pueblo and return for festival days. The pueblo is basically made up of two large, several story adobe buildings one on each side of red willow creek. Ladders are in place to reach the upper floors, the walls and ceilings all made of adobe clay. Some of the rooms have been turned into Native American craft shops which afford the visitor an opportunity to go inside the dwellings. Each has a small fire place warming the space, low ceilings and very thick walls. In recent years the Taos pueblo has been promoting itself more as a tourist attraction. I thought it was rather unique as such in that once the entrance fee is paid one can wander around at will. This allows you to meander the dead end alleys, take your time visiting the gorgeous church and take as many pictures of the mountain backdrop as you wish. There was something disconcerting about seeing Hondas and Toyotas parked in front of some of the doorways, and propane tanks in the alleys. It sort of takes away from the tourist feel, but is a reminder that people really live and work here just like any other neighborhood. Only not many people actually lives here so it seems they could hide all the modern cars and give the place a more authentic feel, since they are charging admission after all. The pueblo definitely gives you a different perspective from what you usually see of Native American dwellings - wigwams and teepees, it's a more permanent type of abode and must have been a quite different sort of lifestyle.