I was in Taos in Northern New Mexico and it turned out that one of their big festivals at the Taos Pueblo was the next day... So I did a bit of a day trip around the area, camped and then came back the next day to see the festivities.
It was quite the tourist trap on the day of celebration but I didnt mind.
There was mostly, not a lot going on other than lots of tourists and lots of stalls selling hand crafts, There were some "sacred clowns" in traditional colours (black and white horizontal striped body paint and straw in their hair) running around the place creating mischief. They also seemed to be blessing many of the villagers with a splash of water from the stream through town. It seemed that most of the women in the town were more or less waiting for their chance to be blessed (or thier babies/children). The women were mostly wearing their traditional white coloured "high moccasins" that look really nice (but sorry, no pictures) and a traditional blanket shawl, but other than that most of the villagers were dressed in every day "modern clothing".
The clowns would also forcibly throw people in the stream too if the person in question refused some request from them... It seemed that they had real power on this special day.
There was mostly, not a lot going on other than lots of tourists and lots of stalls selling hand crafts, There were some "sacred clowns" in traditional colours (black and white horizontal striped body paint and straw in their hair) running around the place creating mischief. They also seemed to be blessing many of the villagers with a splash of water from the stream through town. It seemed that most of the women in the town were more or less waiting for their chance to be blessed (or thier babies/children). The women were mostly wearing their traditional white coloured "high moccasins" that look really nice (but sorry, no pictures) and a traditional blanket shawl, but other than that most of the villagers were dressed in every day "modern clothing".
The clowns would also forcibly throw people in the stream too if the person in question refused some request from them... It seemed that they had real power on this special day.
The big event of the day was at about 4pm when the clowns gathered at a 20m high pole in the town square and one of them managed to clamber up to its top and take down the goodies that were tied there. It was a harvest celebration, so the goodies were a dead sheep and some sacks of maize and beans etc. then he did a dance on top (no mean feat at that height and with that wind, I can tell you!) and then clambered back down to safety :))
They dont allow any cameras in the town on that day so I visited the day before as well so that I could take a few photos of the place. Sadly, my camera is a bit old and the dust shutter jammed partially open for several of the better composed photos, so you will just have to make do with the less well composed ones (and next time, Ill check the camera more carefully) :)))
Taos Pueblo is an authentic Pueblo village and has been more or less as it currently is for the past 500 years. the buildings are all Adobe (mud brick and mud mortar coating) They have to redo the exterior layer of mud every year since it just slowly washes away in the rain and wind (fully bio-degradable buildings! - I love it.)
There is also absolutely no electricity or running water in the pueblo (by choice) . They use propane for lights and cooking is mostly with wood (either in the ovens outside, or in wood fired stoves inside).
There is also absolutely no electricity or running water in the pueblo (by choice) . They use propane for lights and cooking is mostly with wood (either in the ovens outside, or in wood fired stoves inside).
The mud buildings have however been slightly modified over time and they now have doors... In the past, all access to buildings was via ladders and then through an entry in the roof. The big buildings look like they are a communal structure, but in fact are a bunch of individual non-interconnected homes that just share common walls.
The Pueblo Indians are the direct descendants of the "Anasazi" peoples who built the amazing cliff dwellings all over the SW of the USA. Apparently climatic change that brought drought about 500 years ago caused massive cultural upheaval and the people moved their style of living to lower altitudes along the permanent waters of the Rio Grand River etc.
I dont know how much the traditional culture of these people has survived the onslaught of modern times, but I do know that they have chosen not to "record their native language or to teach it to non-members of the tribe. It remains as ever a verbal only language and culture.
Like many First Nations tribes in North America, the tribe runs a casino (the government allows First Nations licenses for this) but they tell me that absolutely all the profits from this go toward buying back land as it becomes available in their traditional tribal area... That seems like a good plan to me :)
Anyway, it was interesting to see the place.
