The Place of the Red Willow

Taos Pueblo is considered to be the oldest continuously habited community in the United States.  The Native American tribe of the Pueblo people have lived here for 1000 years. It is The Place of the Red Willow.

PLEASE READ:

Before going any further, with respect for the Pueblo people, I please ask that you do not “pin”, copy, save or try to sell any of the photos in this post. It is a requirement of the heritage site that one must pay for the right to photograph the village (which I did so) as the fees are an important source of income that contributes to the village maintenance.

The Place of the Red Willow

Taos Pueblo is located on the banks of the Red Willow Creek in Taos, New Mexico.

On October 9, 1960, the Pueblo was designated a National Historic Landmark and in 1992 it was inscribed by Unesco as the first living world heritage site. 

The reservation is approximately 95,000 acres, about 4,500 people live on the reservation. Of that about 150 people live in the historic complex full time.  

This is amazing given that most of the buildings at the site are 1000 years old and have NO electricity or running water. Water is carried to the home from the creek.

The two main structures of the Pueblo are the Hlaukkwima (or South House) and the Hlaauma (North House.)

They are many buildings built side by side, layer upon layer with common walls but no connecting doorways.

Taos, Pueblo

The Pueblo has not changed very much in 1000 years. The exception was the addition of doorways. Long ago the only entryway into the homes was by ladder through an opening in the rooftops. This served as a safeguard. If an enemy approached the ladders were pulled up from the ground and onto the roof.

The openings in the rooftops also served as a source of light and remain in place. Here you can see a Pueblo ceiling that has been modernized. The opening has been transformed into a skylight.

Many of the ceilings still have the original construction in place. Small wood “latillas” are placed across the “vigas”. The roof is then topped and compacted with earth. All the ceilings and walls are coated in washes of white earth to keep the rooms clean and bright.

All of the buildings are made of adobe. Adobe is made from straw, earth, and water that is mixed and poured into brick forms. After the bricks are dried in the sun they are stacked and bonded together using the same mixture of adobe. The exteriors are plastered annually with adobe given that the adobe wears away due to exposure to the elements of the four seasons.

While some of the families have added a wood stove to their homes many still use a “horno” which is an outdoor adobe oven. (You can see the rounded horno next to the aqua door.)

Taos Artistry

There are several Native American artists within the community and some created galleries in their homes.

This lovely gentleman was an amazing painter and leatherworker. We were truly interested in his family heritage and spent quite a bit of time speaking with him. Most of the Pueblo people are fluent in English as well as their native language, Tiwa which is unwritten, unrecorded and will remain so.  The traditional Pueblo values are guarded as sacred. After a time I respectfully asked for permission to take his picture.  

There is one building that is fairly new~ the San Geronimo Church was built in 1850.

It was made famous in 1941 when photographer Ansel Adams captured a series of shots.

About 3/4 of the population still observes some of the Catholic practices which were brought to the area by Spanish priests around 1619.

There is no photography allowed inside the church which I respected, however, I will report it is a lovely space.

The church is an extraordinary example of native architecture which features carved beams and posts and thick adobe walls.

San Geronimo Church

Only rubble remains where the original San Geronimo Church once stood. It was constructed in 1706. Sadly when the Spanish priests first arrived they forced the natives into slavery so that they could become “civilized”. This led to a revolt in 1680. The people lived freely once more for a while. In 1847 several of the Pueblo leaders were taken to the town plaza and hung. US troops destroyed the church leaving only the bell tower standing. As so many lives were lost it was turned into the cemetery.

In addition to Christianity, the Pueblo people still practice their ancient rituals and customs. Their sacred religious shrines are known as “kiva’s” and off limits to the non-members.

The Pueblo Native American people are lovely, peaceful people. I cannot begin to express the joy and happiness I felt within the village. I feel so honored to have had such an amazing experience. Therein lies the secret to a peaceful world…

Many are fearful of what they do not understand. If we strived to communicate and respect one another’s differences the world could live and love as one, no matter what creed or color.

In harmony,

Laura

“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.” ~ Romans 12:16

“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” ~ Colossians 3:14

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” ~ Romans 12:10