The awelo (derived from

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

''abuelo'', meaning "grandfather") is the religious supernatural tribal protector that embodies the essence of the

Tigua Indian Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (also Tigua Pueblo) is a Puebloan Native American tribal entity in the Ysleta section of El Paso, Texas. Its members are Southern Tiwa people who had been displaced from Spanish New Mexico from 1680 to 1681 during the Pueblo ...

s. The awelo is similar to the

kachina A kachina (; also katchina, katcina, or katsina; Hopi: ''katsina'' , plural ''katsinim'' ) is a spirit being in the religious beliefs of the Pueblo peoples, Native American cultures located in the south-western part of the United States. In th ...

s found in other

Puebloan The Puebloans or Pueblo peoples, are Native Americans in the Southwestern United States who share common agricultural, material, and religious practices. Currently 100 pueblos are actively inhabited, among which Taos, San Ildefonso, Acoma, Zu ...

societies. The awelo monitors the conduct of tribal members by punishing those who behave incorrectly. The awelo is believed to live near

Cerro Alto Mountain Cerro Alto Mountain is a mountain in western Texas east of El Paso along U.S. Route 180. It is the highest point in the Hueco Mountains. The awelo The awelo (derived from Spanish ''abuelo'', meaning "grandfather") is the religious supernatural ...

. The awelo is represented by grandfather and grandmother buffalo masks, which are fed with smoke.

References

* Houser, Nicholas P. (1979). Tigua Pueblo. In A. Ortiz (Ed.), ''Handbook of North American Indians: Southwest'' (Vol. 9, pp. 336-342). Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution. Pueblo culture Tutelary deities {{NorthAm-myth-stub

See also

References