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Historical and Other Background Information The Santa Clara Pueblo is located on the west bank of the Rio Grande between Santa Fe and Taos in northern New Mexico's Rio Arriba County. The Santa Clara Tribe's nearly 50,000-acre reservation epitomizes the beauty and majesty of New Mexico's diverse landscape. The ancient dwellings located in the Puye Cliffs were carved into the jagged volcanic tufa, a rock formed from compressed volcanic ash and cinders, and were eventually expanded to include adobe structures along the slopes and on top of the numerous mesas. The majority of the tribal lands included in the main village comprise a unique social, cultural, and residential area. Much of the City of Espanola lies within the exterior boundaries of the reservation and within the visual corridor of the Puye Scenic Byway. The reservation also borders the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The reservation borders both the west and east sides of the Rio Grande River rising from an elevation of 5,560 feet to an elevation of 10,760 feet on the Santa Clara Peak. Agricultural lands are located along the floodplains of the Rio Grande. Within a 20-mile distance, precipitation increases from a yearly average of 9.5 inches per year to over 30 inches per year in the Jemez Mountains. The Natural Formation of the Santa Clara Pueblo: The land containing the Santa Clara Pueblo originally appeared as a series of shallow seas that covered all of what is now the American Southwest. These shallow seas appeared and disappeared several times in the past, and 35 million years ago, a giant lump of igneous rock began to rise from the depths of the earth to begin forming the region's most visible geological features of today. About 15 million years ago, the entire region began another rise pushing up the rest of the landscape in the region. Though not one of the largest Pueblos in population, Santa Clara is considered one of the wealthiest because of its large resource-rich land base. The reservation lands include the spectacular National Historic Landmark Puye Cliff Dwellings, the best-known landmark in the Santa Clara Pueblo. The Cliffs were made from the layering of black basalt and volcanic tuff, which occurred a little over one million years ago when an enormous volcano, the Jemez Calder, erupted and spewed out huge masses of these materials. The years of rain and snowfall have eroded the walls into sheer cliffs that border the canyon. Flora/Fauna: There is wide variation in flora and fauna in the region due to the differences in the soil types, elevation and climate. Flora and fauna range from grasslands to dense stands of pines found in the mountainous area. Much of the flora and fauna have evolved as a result of the extensive volcanic activity that took place over one million years ago. The reservation includes juniper and pinon covered hills, grazing and farming land, and the extensive pine forest mountain lands. Other Natural Resources: Santa Clara Canyon is one of northern New Mexico's popular outdoor recreational areas. The reservations' wooded areas are home to many animals, such as bear, mountain sheep, and several species of cats, including mountain lions. The Tribe's agriculture includes alfalfa and other hay crops, vegetables and some fruit. These crops are generally for personal consumption with some limited marketing in Espanola, Los Alamos and Santa Fe. There are 32,000 acres of rangeland with 14,000 acres of grazable woodlands. The range conditions rate from excellent to fair and currently support an estimated 180 head of cattle. Most cattle are sold at local auction or to local residents for personal consumption. Mineral resources include sand and gravel, adobe construction materials and pumice. The pueblo also has the potential for developing geothermal energy with potential drilling sites identified on the western area of the reservation. Water is a major resource with tribal claims to surface and ground water. The Pueblo has approximately 35 miles of streams and rivers within reservation boundaries. Cultural Resources: Historical, Archaeological, Cultural Development, Architectural The upper Rio Grande Basin, where the Santa Clara Pueblo is located, is noted for its Indian Pueblos and old Hispanic communities. Evidence of an archaic culture that developed around 2500 BC has been found in the basin. The Santa Clara (Tewa) people's ancestors were the inhabitants of the Puye cliff dwellings. "Puye" translates as "pueblo where rabbits assemble." The Puye Cliff Dwellings are the ancestral home of the present day Santa Clara Pueblo. These ruins, an historical ancestral site on the Pajarito Plateau, are adjacent to the Santa Clara Canyon. This national landmark was the home to over 1500 people. Their ancestors inhabited these cliff dwellings from the 900s until 1580. The people of the Puye were driven by drought from their cliff dwellings in 1580. They built adobe structures in Kha p'o, a valley near the Rio Grande, which in Tewa means "Valley of Wild Roses," and this has been the home of the Santa Clara Pueblo Indians ever since. Within the Puye Cliffs are rooms carved for over a mile long along the south face of the Puye mesa. Some of the Puye Cliff Dwellings even contain two separate levels. Petroglyphs of animal and human forms, and geometric figures can be found carved into the walls of these primitive dwellings. On the top of the mesa, one can find the Community House, which may have served a defensive function. This National Landmark has been attracting annual visitation of over 30,000. The Santa Clara (Tewa) people first met the white man in 1540-1541 when Ferdinando Vasquez de Coronado's expedition arrived in New Mexico. Shortly thereafter, Juan de Onate's efforts to "civilize" and "Christianize" the Native Americans divided the Pueblos into missionary districts. The present-day site of the Pueblo of Santa Clara is almost identical to that which was established at the time that the Spaniards first came to the area. Santa Clara became the seat of a Spanish mission and a monastery was built between 1622 and 1629. With the ascendancy of the Spanish, native labor became the primary economic resource of the area. To be profitable for the Spaniards, the Ecomienda System required a large stable supply of forced Indian labor. The increasing burden of forced labor and the dissolution of the traditional way of life by mandatory Christianity led in 1680 to the only unified effort of the Pueblo Indians continuous struggle for religious and potential freedom; it was also the greatest setback for the Spanish Empire in northern New Spain. Some of the earliest changes in the Pueblo resulted from the introduction of metal tools, new grains and domestic animals. This had the effect of superimposing Spanish-style governing structure on the Tribe. Perhaps the most notable blend of the Indian and Spanish cultures is in religion. Roman Catholicism became an accepted religion. Underlying this faith, however is the deep reservoir of ancient religious feeling that permeates every aspect of Indian life. The inevitable reconquest by the Spanish began in 1692 under Don Diego de Vargas. Meeting little resistance, the Spaniards soon reestablished complete control of the valley. The eventual success of the Mexican Independence movement in 1822 had no profound impact on the valley. In 1846, General Kearney lead an invading American Army into the Southwest ending the Mexican War. The Americans quickly settled along the Rio Grande and its environs, adding a third culture to the valley. Customs: The Tewa people of Santa Clara Pueblo are renowned for their beautiful Redware polychromic and carved blackware pottery. In fact, Santa Clara has more potters than any other pueblo. Various styles and products are created by these potters, but the most traditional are the red and blackware styles and the "ollas" or water jar products. A common decoration of the fine ceramics that has come to symbolize the Santa Clara people is the single bear paw print that is created by pressing a five-pointed mark into the soft clay. This symbol first appeared on vessels in the late half of the 19th century and was singularly placed on jars in sets of three or more. Beginning in the 1930's, Santa Clara women began experimenting with matte or glossless black on black prototypes, most celebrated of these Margaret Tafoya. Two vessel shapes have since become known as distinctly Santa Claran, the wedding jar, a double-necked jar with two mouths connected by a handle, and the black animal figurines that are molded rather than being coilded. As seen in many other of the 26 Pueblo tribes throughout New Mexico and Arizona, the Santa Clara people are as well renowned for their talents for weaving, bread making, and basket making. Some Santa Clara dances and festivals are open to the general public. On January 6, the Transfer of Canes is celebrated as well as a variety of other dances. Originally referred to as Dia de Reyes, the King's Day Celebration begins in honor of the newly elected tribal officers. On Easter, other dances take place. The Saint Anthony's Day Feast, which takes place on June 13, features Comanche dances. The Santa Clara Feasts Day is held on August 12 in honor of Saint Clare, the patron saint of the Pueblo of Santa Clara. Various dances are presented such as Harvest, Blue Corn, Buffalo and others. The next celebration comes to Santa Clara on the 25th of December when the Matachimas and other dances take place. The final celebration of the year falls on December 28th with the arrival of "Holy Innocence Day," accompanied by children's dances. Tourists are welcomed at some of these celebrations. |
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