Tuesday, 5 October: Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico

Today we went to the Acoma (say ack-umma) Pueblo, about an hour's drive from our hotel in Albuquerque. The Acoma people are an ancient race of American Indians. The pueblo, or village, was built on the top of a 112 metre (367 foot) sandstone mesa. It is also called 'Sky City'. It is thought that the pueblo was built in the 12th century, but before that the people lived on another mesa, probably dating back to around the 7th century. No one knows why they moved, or why they built their village on top of a high, almost unreachable mesa. Possibly it was for defence.  However, in 1598, the Spanish invaded New Mexico, and raided many pueblos, including Acoma, taking anything of value. There were about 2000 people living in the pueblo when the Spanish conquered it, and only about 250 after the battle was lost.

The Spanish built a church on the mesa and the Indians were forced to become Catholics and to learn to speak and read Spanish. They found quiet ways of seeming to obey, while continuingtheir own ways in secret defiance.

Rainwater collects in rock depressions

Today there are still Acoma people living in the pueblo, though most now live in the surrounding plateau, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited pueblos. Everything had to be carted up to the mesa, dragged on sleds pulled by mules. The Acoma people hunted the mostly small animals around, such as rabbits and snakes, and the occasional elk. They collected berries and nuts, and also planted small crops of corn and squash where they could. There are depressions in the rocks where rain water collects in large pools, which supplied the Acoma people with water. They collected what they needed in large pottery bowls and urns. Today the pools are used only for washing, and the residents cart drinking water up to the mesa. They have no electricity up there, and large gas cylinders supply gas for cooking. There are porta loos tucked away in unobtrusive locations, and a few four wheel drive cars are parked outside some houses. Clay dome-shaped wood ovens are dotted about for communal use, and bread is still baked daily. Most of the residents are artists, making traditional pottery, jewellery and ornaments for sale to visitors.

The Acoma people have built a visitor centre and small buses shuttle visitors up to the pueblo, where an Acoma guide takes them through the village. A licence to take photos must be obtained, and there are places where photographs cannot be taken.