Acoma Pueblo Things to Do Tips by kymbanm

The visitor center is undergoing extensive rebuilding at this time, so is temporarily housed in trailers next to the construction zone. [I took a picture of the construction site, and the temporary digs .... but my picture disk decided to have 'issues' and I couldn't retrieve 'em ..... harumph! So months later I returned, and the spirits of Acoma decided they were ready to be seen on the internet ... finally!]

The current visitor center includes a counter to buy your tour ticket, a continuous loop movie about the history of the Chaco Canyon and Acoma people, a gift shop, and a snack bar. The new one, which should be opening in the next few months, will have interactive exhibits, museums and all sorts of wonderful things! I can't wait :)

History is everything to people with oral traditions, such as those of Acoma. The language of is Keresan, a decidedly different language than that of the neighboring pueblos. This language is so unique that it is only an oral language ... there are no written forms and so it must be passed on from person to person .... the same manner in which they pass on their traditions.

Acoma (pronounced eh-Ko-Ma or Ah-Ko-Ma) is derived from the Keresan word Hak'u. HaK'u means in a sense to prepare or plan. The Acoma people believe they are the direct decendents of the inhabitants of Chaco Canyon. After a prolonged drought, the Chacoans needed to relocate in order to survive. It was prophesied from the beginning that there existed a place ready for the people to occupy. Searchers looked throughout the region until they found the site that is currently known as Sky City - the oldest continuously inhabited town in North America.

Adult tour: $10.00 per person
Camera fee: $10.00 per camera

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Directions: About 50 miles east of Albuquerque on I-40. Take exit 102 (by the Sky City casino) and follow the signs to Sky City Visitor Center
Website: http://skycitycasino.com/index.aspx?pk=4

This mission/church was built to symbolize the love of the Acoma people for their beloved Friar Juan as well as for their patron saint.

Legend has it that after warring with the Spanish, the Acoma people were distrustful of strangers. So when this non-native man in a dress approached the mesa, the people of the mesa believed him to be up to no good. As he was approaching, a child fell from the mesa, and was considered lost.

As they grieved for their loss, the inhabitants of Acoma were surprised to see the Friar emerge from the stone steps that lead up to the top of the mesa with the lost child in his arms. Considering this a miracle, they honored Friar Juan and welcomed him into their community. As a result of this miracle, the Acoma people began to learn about Catholicism.

The beauty of the Catholic Church here in the southwest is so obvious here at St Esteban. Catholic, and traditional Native beliefs, have blended into a wonderfully unique version of this faith. Mother Earth, Father Sky, Corn, and other aspects of Acoma tradition have been blended with Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and Mother Mary ... all seperate entities, all equally powerful.

According to the Spaniards, the Acoma people traded 4 children for the bell in the tower in the picture .... according to the people of Acoma, the Spaniards sent the bell after stealing 4 children from their families.

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The cemetary next to the church is older than the church itself. Surrounded by a 40 foot adobe retaining wall, the interred have been placed in layers. The original layer was simply the decedents being placed into natural crevices with their blanket and then covered with a layer of rock.

After the acceptance of Catholicism, it was deemed necessary to bury the dead under dirt. The women of Acoma brought the dirt up in tightly woven baskets - one basket at a time. As one layer of the cemetary filled, another layer would be begun. At this point, the cemetary is on it's 5th and final layer. No further burials will be able to occur here once this layer is complete.

At the end of the cemetary closest to the door of the church is a raised area with a large cross. This cross is to honor the unknown ancestors contained in the lower levels ... whose names are only known to their decendents as legend.

There are humps on the top of the cemetary wall. from the outside, that is all they appear to be. From the inside, they contain faces ... eyes, noses, ears and all. They are the sentinels who watch over the dead and protect them. There is also a hole in one wall to allow the spirits of the deceased a way to exit into the afterlife.

Photography is prohibited in the cemetary, as well as the church. But limited photography of the wall is permited .....

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Though most Kivas, or spiritual buildings for ceremonies, in this region are round ... here in Acoma they are square, to concerve the limited space found at this site. Despite blending in with the other buildings on the mesa, there are no doors on the outside. Entrance to the Kiva is through the opening in the roof.

The ladders which allow participants to reach the entrance are different that other ladders in the pueblo. The Kiva ladders have pointed tips - in the direction of the sky - to pierce the clouds and bring rain.

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There is only one tree within Sky City .... it is unique as it has taken root in the rock of the mesa itself. This is taken to represent the tencious nature of the Acoma people, and the love of Mother Earth for these people ... and is jokingly referred to their National Forest.

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Being almost 400 feet above the nearby valley, there is no regular water supply in Sky City. All water is brought up from the surrounding area.... except when it rains. There are three natural indentations, or cisterns on the mesa. During the rare rainfall, water used by the inhabitants is collected. With only 11-13 inches of annual rainfall ..... every drop is precious.

This lonely tree's ability to survive is probably enhanced by it's location at the edge of one of these cisterns.

Though today, the Culligan Man does make deliveries ........... he doesn't deliver to the tree.

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After your guided tour of Acoma, you are given several choices. You can ask for the vendor guide to go back to the local artist's homes and make purchases ..... you can take the bus back down from the pueblo to the visitor center .... or (my personal favorite) take the walking trail down the side of the mesa back to the visitor center and your car :)

This is a short walk, and supposed to take only 10 minutes or so for your descent. If you are afraid of heights (like moi), or love taking pics along the way (moi again) it will take you a bit longer. I take closer to 30-45 minutes as I take deep breaths and try to center my nervousness. You'll need 2 hands on parts of the path and might need to go down some sections feet first. Between stabilized paths, stairs carved into the rocks, and easy hand holds, it really isn't bad :)

The view is what makes me take this journey ..... despite the fear in my chest as I crawl down the mesa. My imagination takes root as I think of the Acoma ancestors crawling up and down the sides of this mesa as part of their daily lives.

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Phone: 1-800-747-0181
Address: Sky City, Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico
Directions: Your pueblo guide will offer you the option of taking the trail down at the end of the tour... and make sure you know where the trail head is located :)