Today’s Ride to Church comes to us from Joanna in New Mexico, who writes:
My family recently visited Acoma Pueblo, one of New Mexico’s 19 pueblos, with intertwined yet distinct histories, cultures, and languages. Acoma is home to the mesa-top Sky City (Old Acoma), the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the United States (since circa 1150 A.D.)
While most of the Acoma people now live in two communities below, the leader of their native religion resides with his family atop the mesa during his 15-month term. Many pueblo families also maintain a residence on top of the mesa and occupy it for some portion of the year. Interestingly, although the religious leader must be male, land inheritance (including mesa residences) is through the youngest female of the family.
My ride to church follows our tour, beginning at the visitor center below and ending at the mission church of San Esteban del Rey atop the mesa. This church, completed in 1640, is approximately 90% original construction and contains some original paintings. While the building is no longer used routinely for church services, it hosts festivals a few times a year. The roof is still supported by the original vigas: long, thick, heavy, square-hewn logs. Tradition states that these logs, relayed from Mt. Taylor 25 miles away by Acoma men, never touched the ground.
We could not take pictures inside the church, but our guide pointed out many aspects of the native religion incorporated into its interior design, particularly in the decorative colors: pink for Mother Earth; blue for Father Sky; rainbows for much-needed rain, and so forth. The Acoma people then and today maintain their native religion while interweaving it with Catholicism.
All photos are courtesy of my husband, Anthony Lupinetti, the real photographer in the family. The captions on photos #3 and #7 were too long, so their text is included below in their entirety:
#3: After the bus ride to the top, looking back down at the visitor center. Mt. Taylor, the snow-capped peak in the background on the right (25 miles away), was the closest source of wood for the church’s roof. Note the bright blue Port-a-Potty-no running water, plumbing, or electricity on the mesa (although accessible by road).
#7: Ladders are everywhere to access 2nd– and 3rd-story homes. This white ladder (on picture #7), however, accesses a kiva, a traditional sacred ceremonial house (entered via a roof opening). Our guide told us that this tribe’s kivas were once round but were made square after Spanish rule, to hide them by blending them in with residences. The white ladder color is symbolic (of clouds, I think).
Such a beautiful setting. Great photos.
These are beautiful. Thanks for sharing the photos.
I don’t think it is in this church, but in one Pueblo church there is a huge mural of Christ, in traditional pueblo attire, acting as shepherd. Just lovely. One of the things I miss about living in NM is the architecture. Thanks for these.