Pojoaque (;
Tewa
The Tewa are a linguistic group of Pueblo Native Americans who speak the Tewa language and share the Pueblo culture. Their homelands are on or near the Rio Grande in New Mexico north of Santa Fe. They comprise the following communities:
* ...
: Pʼohsųwæ̨geh Ówîngeh/P'osuwaege Owingeh
’òhsũ̀wæ̃̀gè ʔówîŋgè, Po’su wae geh, which translates to “water gathering place”, is a
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...
(CDP) in
Santa Fe County
Santa Fe County ( es, Condado de Santa Fe; meaning ''Holy faith'' in Spanish) is located in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2010 census, the population was 144,170, making it New Mexico's third-most populous county, after Bernalillo Cou ...
,
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...
, United States. It is part of the
Santa Fe, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...
. The population was 1,907 at the
2010 census. Pojoaque Pueblo, a neighboring community, is an
Indian Reservation, and the town of Pojoaque is a collection of communities near the pueblo with people from various ethnic backgrounds. The area of Pojoaque includes the neighborhoods of
Cuyamungue,
Jacona,
Jaconita,
Nambé and
El Rancho.
History
Pojoaque
In the early 17th century, the first Spanish mission, San Francisco de Pojoaque was founded. During the
Pueblo Revolt
The Pueblo Revolt of 1680, also known as Popé's Rebellion or Popay's Rebellion, was an uprising of most of the indigenous Pueblo people against the Spanish colonizers in the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México, larger than present-day New Mex ...
of 1680, Pojoaque was abandoned, and was not resettled until ''circa'' 1706. By 1712, the population had reached 79. During the revolt of 1837, New Mexico native Manuel Armijo defeated the rebels at Puertocito Pojoaque, east of Santa Cruz de la Cañada. In the early 1900s, the Pojoaque Valley School District was established to serve the educational needs of the valley.
Pojoaque Pueblo
Pojoaque Pueblo is one of the six
Tewa
The Tewa are a linguistic group of Pueblo Native Americans who speak the Tewa language and share the Pueblo culture. Their homelands are on or near the Rio Grande in New Mexico north of Santa Fe. They comprise the following communities:
* ...
-speaking
Rio Grande Pueblos, and a member of the
Eight Northern Pueblos
The Eight Northern Pueblos of New Mexico are Taos, Picuris, Santa Clara, Ohkay Owingeh (formerly San Juan), San Ildefonso, Nambé, Pojoaque, and Tesuque.
Taos and Picuris are Tiwa-speaking pueblos; the rest speak Tewa. Tiwa and Tewa are c ...
. The Pueblo was settled around 500 AD, with the population peaking in the 15th and 16th centuries.
In about 1900, a severe
smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
epidemic caused the pueblo to be abandoned once again by 1912. In 1934, Pojoaque Pueblo was reoccupied, and became a federally recognized Indian Reservation in 1936.
Pojoaque Pueblo remains a major employer in the region, owning several business enterprises, including the gaming operations of three casino locations: Buffalo Thunder Resort, Cities of Gold Casino, and Jake's Casino. Prior to 2017, the New Mexico state gaming compacts signed by the pueblo expired, but the pueblo has continued gaming operations and resumed negotiations with the state of New Mexico.
Geography
![Tesuque Creek](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Tesuque_Creek.jpg)
Pojoaque is located at (35.890581, -106.009511).
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
, the CDP has a total area of 2.9 square miles (7.5 km), all land.
Pojoaque Creek runs from the
Sangre de Cristo Mountains from Nambé Lake westward. Passing through the pueblo, it joins the Rio Tesuque to form the Pojoaque River, which flows into the
Rio Grande.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 1,261 people, 493 households, and 332 families residing in the CDP. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 437.3 people per square mile (169.1/km). There were 533 housing units at an average density of 184.8 per square mile (71.5/km). The racial makeup of the CDP was 52.10%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 0.56%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 17.37%
Native American, 26.57% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 3.41% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 62.17% of the population.
There were 493 households, out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were
married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 8.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $15,875, and the median income for a family was $24,719. Males had a median income of $19,830 versus $17,105 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the CDP was $13,968. About 17.2% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 23.4% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.
Attractions
Pojoaque Pueblo opened the
Poeh Museum
The Poeh Museum (Tewa ''poeh'', "pathway") is a museum in Pojoaque, New Mexico, U.S.A. The museum is located off U.S. Route 84. It is devoted to the arts and culture of the Puebloan peoples, especially the Tewas in the northern part of the state. ...
in 1987, and the Cities of Gold Casino in the mid-1990s.
In 2008 the Pueblo opened the Buffalo Thunder resort and casino, New Mexico's largest and most expensive resort. The estimated cost for the resort project in 2004 was $250 million.
Buffalo Thunder construction
/ref>
Education
The Pojoaque Valley is served by the Pojoaque Valley School District, which administers several schools, teaching Kindergarten through twelfth grade:
* Pojoaque Valley High School
* Pojoaque Middle School
* Pojoaque Sixth Grade Academy
* Pojoaque Intermediate School
* Pablo Roybal Elementary School
Pojoaque Valley High School competes in the NMAA District 2AAAA in athletics.
See also
* Poeh Center
References
External links
Pojoaque community profile
Pojoaque Pueblo article
{{authority control
Census-designated places in Santa Fe County, New Mexico
Census-designated places in New Mexico
Tewa
Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area