Picuris Pueblo (; Tiwa: P'įwweltha ’ī̃wːēltʰà is a historic

pueblo Pueblo refers to the settlements of the Pueblo peoples, Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, currently in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. The permanent communities, including some of the oldest continually occupied settlement ...

Taos County, New Mexico Taos County is a county in the U.S. state of New Mexico. As of the 2020 census, the population was 34,489. Its county seat is Taos. The county was formed in 1852 as one of the original nine counties in New Mexico Territory. Taos County com ...

, United States. The

federally recognized tribe A federally recognized tribe is a Native American tribe recognized by the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs as holding a government-to-government relationship with the US federal government. In the United States, the Native American tribe ...

of Pueblo people inhabit the community. Picurís Pueblo is a member of the Eight Northern Pueblos. Their own name for their pueblo is ''P'įwweltha'', meaning "mountain warrior place" or "mountain pass place." They speak the Picuris dialect of the Northern Tiwa language, part of the Kiowa-Tanoan language family. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined that community as 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 counte ...

(CDP). The 2010 census estimated that 68 people lived in the CDP, while 267 people in the U.S. reported being of the tribal group Picuris alone and 439 reported being of the tribal group Picuris alone or in combination with other groups.

Geography

Picuris Pueblo is located in northern New Mexico, on the western slopes of the

Sangre de Cristo Mountains The Sangre de Cristo Mountains (Spanish language, Spanish for "Blood of Christ") are the southernmost mountain range, subrange of the Rocky Mountains. They are located in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico in the United States. The mountai ...

and 18 miles south of

Taos Pueblo Taos Pueblo (or Pueblo de Taos) is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos language, Taos-speaking (Tiwa languages, Tiwa) Native American tribe of Puebloan peoples, Puebloan people. It lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico. T ...

. Average elevation in the pueblo is over 7,000 feet.Pritzker, Barry M. ''A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. p. 58. . The Rio Santa Barbara and Rio Pueblo unite near Picurus to form Embudo Creek, a tributary of the

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 86 people, 38 households, and 18 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 60 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 10.47%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 70.93% Native American, 16.28% from other races, and 2.33% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 26.74% of the population. There were 38 households, out of which 10.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 21.1% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.6% were non-families. 42.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 3.33. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 16.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.7 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $11,528, and the median income for a family was $16,875. Males had a median income of $21,000 versus $23,333 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the CDP was $12,492. There were 36.0% of families and 28.7% of the population living 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 ...

, including no under eighteens and 45.0% of those over 64. In 1990, 147 of the 1,882 enrolled tribal members lived in the pueblo; however, the number reduced to 86 in 2000.U.S. Census Bureau
"Picuris Pueblo CDP New Mexico"
. 2000. American FactFinder. Retrieved October 27, 2017. At the 2010 Census, the population was recorded as 68. By 2014, it was one of the smallest Tiwa pueblos.

History

The Picuris People once lived in Chaco Canyon, now a

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

. The Picuris people later lived in a village of about 3,000 people now known as Pot Creek, near Taos. They migrated to the present location along the Rio Pueblo about 1250 CE. In the 15th century it was one of the largest Tiwa pueblos, influenced by

Apache The Apache ( ) are several Southern Athabaskan language-speaking peoples of the Southwestern United States, Southwest, the Southern Plains and Northern Mexico. They are linguistically related to the Navajo. They migrated from the Athabascan ho ...

and other Plains Indian cultures, as was the

.Picuris Pueblo.
Indian Pueblo - 19 Pueblos. Retrieved July 23, 2014. In the late 17th century people from the pueblos of New Mexico revolted against the Spanish colonialists, particularly during a revolt between 1680 and 1696 when they fought for autonomy and their land. Following this period the people of the pueblo were dispersed and had abandoned their pueblo until 1706. At that time they joined with the Spanish to fight against attacks by Comanche and Apache tribes. Then, the Picuris pueblo people settled into a peaceful period. Picuris mission

Spanish explorer Don Juan de Oñate named the pueblo "Pikuria" - which means "those who paint."Picuris Pueblo.
New Mexico.org Retrieved July 23, 2014.
LaPlaza.org Retrieved July 23, 2014. The pueblo was influenced by the Spanish, particularly adoption of Christian religious practices and letting go of traditional rituals and ceremonies. The San Lorenzo de Picurís church was built of adobe by 1776 and was restored in the 21st century. Having been influenced by the Spanish and then the Americans for centuries, the Picuris adopted telephone and electrical services, paved roads and television. They resumed their traditional customs, which are performed throughout the year, and became self-governing again in the mid-1920s. , the pueblo maintained a growing herd of buffalo. Pueblo is a member of the Intertribal Buffalo Council.

Government

The Pueblo's headquarters is in Peñasco, New Mexico. Their tribal officers, led by a tribal governor, are elected every two years.Pritzker, Barry M. ''A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples.'' Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. p. 61. . In 1991, the tribe opened the four-star Hotel Santa Fe and the Amaya Restaurant, serving Native American cuisine, in

Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , literal translation, lit. "Holy Faith") is the capital city, capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Santa Fe County. With over 89,000 residents, Santa Fe is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, fourt ...

Education

The community is in the Peñasco Independent School District.

Tourism

Located within the Pueblo are the San Lorenzo de Picurís church and the Picuris Pueblo Museum, which displays and sells the works of local weavers, potters and beadworkers. Picuris is particularly known for its micaceous

pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. The place where such wares are made by a ''potter'' is al ...

. Excavated dwellings are located within the pueblo. Self-guided tours and permits for photography within the pueblo are available to visitors. Visitors may fish for trout at Pu-La Lake by contacting the Picurís Pueblo Fish & Game and Parks & Wildlife.Picurís Pueblo Fish & Game and Parks & Wildlife
. Taos.gopickle.com Retrieved July 23, 2014. There are also picnic and campground facilities.

Events

Their major feast day is San Lorenzo's Day on August 10, during which people of all ages engage in races and the Sunset Dance held on August 9.Picuris dances.
Laplaza.org/Penasco Retrieved July 23, 2014. There are Corn Dances and Buffalo Dances in June and August, which may be private ceremonies. There are also dances held New Year's Day and in late January and early February that are open to the public. An Arts & Crafts fair of weaving, sculpture, beadwork, and jewelry is held the first weekend in July.

Notable people

* Anthony Durand (1956–2009), micaceous potter * Cora Durand (1902 - 1998), micaceous potter * Maria Ramita Martinez (1884–1969) micaceous potter * Joseph Rael (b. 1935),

New Age New Age is a range of Spirituality, spiritual or Religion, religious practices and beliefs that rapidly grew in Western world, Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclecticism, eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise d ...

writer * Rosalie Simbola Aguilar (c. 1898–1947), potter

Gallery

File:Gerald nailor jr.jpg, Gerald Nailor, Jr., Governor of Picuris File:David gaussoin picuris.jpg, David Gaussoin, Picuris jeweler File:Hippies vs Picuris 218.jpg, Picuris ballplayer File:Wayne_gaussoin_performance.jpg, Performance art by Wayne Gaussoin (Picuris Pueblo), Museum of Contemporary Native Art, Santa Fe, NM, 2009

References

External links

Picuris Pueblo

Picuris article at ''New Mexico Magazine''

Pot Creek archaeological site

photo gallery
Picuris Pueblo through time: eight centuries of change in a northern Rio Grande pueblo
{{authority control American Indian reservations in New Mexico Census-designated places in New Mexico Federally recognized tribes in the United States Native American tribes in New Mexico Pueblo great houses Census-designated places in Taos County, New Mexico Tiwa Pueblo peoples Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area Pueblos on the National Register of Historic Places in New Mexico National Register of Historic Places in Taos County, New Mexico Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New Mexico