Today was another of our driving days, but our one "big thing" was a tour of the Acoma Pueblo-Sky City.
According to Wikipedia (because I couldn't remember these specifics): The Acoma Pueblo is one of the earliest continuiously inhabited communities in the U.S.... It lies on a 365 foot mesa west of Albuquerque, NM.
While a small fraction of the people still live up there, each building is owned, and occupied only several times a year for various events and ceremonies. No new buildings are allowed (without a good reason), but the residents can build/expand upwards. There aren't many purely original buildings, anymore (except for the church area), but the current buildings are most definitely built in the traditional ways. The village on this mesa was first inhabited around 800 A.D, and I'm sure things were destroyed during the many times the Spanish invaded them.
Being up there, surrounded by the most amazing geological features in the landscape I've seen yet, on this trip, as well as traditionally build buildings, was an experience difficult to put into words. I suppose it was quite spiritual, but totally exciting from an Anthropologists's point of view.
These two photos were taken away from the pueblo--it was before I had obtained my photography pass. They restrict photographs in a much similar way as the Amish (although I bet for different reasons most of the time).
Even though Mesa Verde was amazing, I believe walking amonth the Acoma Pueblo was/is my favorite thing on this entire trip. It is a living, breathing cultural center of acticvity, where the past meets and blends into the present like nothing else I've ever seen.
I had the pleasure of chatting with a gentleman (an artisan from whom I purchased some exquisite beadwork, probably not much younger than I) who is filling the role of storyteller. He is so much more than just telling stories--he is keeping the traditions of his people alive (and accurat!) so the new generations can learn to love and appreciate their heritage so as to continue the circle. Unfortunately, I was holding up the group, so our chat wasn't very long. I owe him a postcard upon my return to San Antonio, though. He asks his customers to do that. It's his way of travelling--to see just how far the reach of the Acoma has gone.
I could wear your eyes out about my experience on that mesa, but I won't go on for much longer. The last thing I wish to touch upon is something I had been wondering about since living back in San Antonio, again, around 1993, after returning from living in Germany as an Air Force brat. In school, I had learned about the Native Americans living in the San Antonio Missions area, and I wondered exactly how they felt about the Spanish and the missions built explicitly for their conversion.
Our history books were written by the "victors," and thus their "facts" are skewed in their favor. Knowing this, I wondered how the "losers" felt about everything: Strangers coming in, teaching them how to be "civilized," teaching them about Jesus Christ, replacing their traditions.
You might note my tone and word usage above. That is how it is taught to us: each of these groups of people just rolled over and let the Spanish (and other conquerors) walk all over them. These people absolutely loved learning about Jesus, and threw their old traditions right out the window.
Wrong.
I was pretty sure there was a "The Rest of the Story," but I didn't have the means or opportunity to learn answers myself. I'm not talking about things to learn in a class or from a book. Not even talking to someone else who is knowledgeable about the peoples in question, or who has talked to them directly, themselves. I'm talking about hearing it directly from their mouths, with my ears, in person (not a pre-recorded interview). Interpreting their body language, tone, and words in the moment.
I first was shocked about our guide's bluntness regarding the historical discrepancies beween the Spanish history and theirs. Most people sugar coat bad things even a bit, if only to be polite/unoffensive to those around them. But, it was ultimately a breath of fresh air because she was telling the truth of what happened according to the history passed down to her. I am certain it has more truth to it than anything the Spanish claimed, but, as always, these things need to be taken with a grain of salt because none of us were actually there. It happened over 500 years ago! A 500-year-old game of "telephone..." That's an interesting sociological/anthropological/phsycological experiment!
No, the Acoma did not welcome religious conversion; they were happy with their own practices. No, they did not roll over and do everything the Spanish wanted; they fought back, even throwing some of the Spanish over the edge of their near-400 feet tall mesa.
Yes, they ultimately did pretend to do what the Spanish asked, and yes, a lot of those traditions were accepted by the younger generations (and thus passed down and followed today). However, that was a defense mechanism to keep their people alive.
The Spanish were conquerers. They wouldn't accept "No" as an answer. Most times they ended up physically conflicted with the Spanish, the Acoma would lose due to being outnumbered. So few of them lived up there, and thus they needed to protect their future.
I'm sure the same can be said for all Native American tribes. The Trail of Tears was attrocious. No human beings should be treated like that. We of European descent completley stole their lands--we backstabbed and cheated the natives every step of the way. Slavery was just as evil. I hope we can end it all and truly live in harmony sooner rather than later.
This trip has been an Anthropologist's dream!
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