Taos Pueblo

Yesterday, we traveled to Taos Pueblo and had the unique opportunity to go on a tour of the Native American community led by a native of the pueblo. She first brought us into the pueblo’s church, which is devoted to both the worship of Catholicism and their ancient Native American religion. The church was beautifully adorned with paintings and figurines. Through these art forms we learned that the Virgin Mary and Mother Earth are commonly used interchangeably in this culture. As a representation of this synthesis, four Virgin Mary figurines were placed at the church’s alter, each decorated to represent one of the four seasons. Our guide explained other examples of the harmony that has developed between Catholicism and their native religion such as the use of ancient Native American dances on Catholic feast days. Upon leaving the church, our guide brought us through the weaving paths between the pueblo kivas or homes. We observed a few kivas that, according to our guide, were “relatively recent structures” in comparison to other dwellings that are several centuries old. Due to inconsistencies with the yearly maintenance that is necessary to keep up the adobe’s durability and functionality, these buildings were crumbling and caving in. It was very interesting to see the technology that went into the building of these dwellings so many years ago and how the natives have preserved their ancestor’s community even under the pressure of our constantly developing world. This community has remained so untouched and content with their traditional ways that even visiting the Taos Pueblo for a few hours felt like we had been transported to a different world. It was an absolutely amazing experience!