Taos Pueblo 2019

A long birthday weekend in New Mexico culminated with a pair of visits to Taos Pueblo, the thousand-year-old Native American village located several miles outside the town of Taos. My actual birthday found us in the pueblo, snow falling and the air a crisp 32 degrees, as the men of the village performed a Buffalo Dance. It was a profound experience — the ancient setting, the dancers and their bison heads, the elders singing and pounding drums to keep the rhythm — the sort of absorbing and timeless event that makes you wonder not just where you are but when.

Taos Pueblo has been continuously occupied for about a thousand years. The original walled village consists of two multi-story adobe dwelling complexes flanking a broad central gathering area, which is bisected by the Rio Pueblo de Taos, or Red Willow Creek. This is the South House.
This is the North House. The only way to enter the units on the second, third and fourth floors is by climbing exterior ladders. Originally, all entrances were through the roof and there were no doors or windows on the ground floor.
North House. The bright colors on the doors are to intended to ward off malign influences.

The South and North House complexes do not have electricity or indoor plumbing, to preserve the integrity of the original structures. Propane lanterns and stoves are used for light and cooking, and wood or gas fires provide heat.
San Geronimo Church, built in 1850, reflects the influence of the Spanish Catholic missionaries, who arrived in 1540 with the Coronado Expedition.

The first Catholic church in Taos Pueblo was destroyed twice. Originally built in 1619 using forced native labor, it was demolished during the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, when a native uprising drove the Spanish out of New Mexico for 12 years. It was destroyed again during the 1847 Taos Revolt, when native and Hispanic residents rebelled against American occupation. This led to a U.S. cavalry howitzer bombardment of the church, where pueblo residents had gathered for protection.
The Spanish introduced the horno, an outdoor adobe oven used mainly for baking. It's still common in native communities in the Southwest.