SUNDAY FAVORITES and FAVORITE PLACES (Flashback to another trip)

I posted a couple of these pictures for last week's Skywatch Friday, but I thought the whole thing deserved re-posting.  This original post  -- copied here -- explains more about the Acoma culture, as well as showing off the beautiful blue New Mexico skies.  We loved almost everything about New Mexico and this was one of our favorite places there.  We visited Sky City in October 2008.    SUNDAY FAVORITES is part of Cheri's blog and is meant to give bloggers a chance to re-post some old favorites.  Thank you Cheri.  And click here for Margot's Blot  JOYFULLY RETIRED .  She posts favorite places on Sundays.  

Sky City is the oldest continuously inhabited community in the country. Acoma people have lived in the Pueblo for almost 2,000 years.  It is the spiritual center for all of them and still the physical home for about 600, even though the village has no electricity or running water.  Other Acoma live in nearby villages, but return for special cultural occasions to celebrate their ancestral homes. 

Sky City is on the National Register of Historical Monuments, but it is owned and operated  by the Acoma People.  Like all of the Southwest Tribes, the Acoma trace their ancestry to nearby Chaco Canyon , a National Monument that we visited on an earlier trip.

Sky City has over 300 structures made of mud brick (adobe) and white sandstone.  The Acomas are a matriarchial society and mothers pass down the homes to their youngest daughter.  Here is a closer view of one of the homes.

 

 

  For defensive purposes, the Pueblo was built 370 feet above the desert floor, and untill 1959 was only accessed by hand cut trails. This picture was taken near the Museum and Visitor Center at its foot. It is an impressive sight looming above when you are standing on the desert below. 

We had a very good native Acoma tour guide, whose English name was Gary.  He gave us a good overview of the history of his people.  As always with Native American history, it was not something that is exactly easy to hear, but it is something that all of us should know about. 

  

The mesa in the distance is sacred to the Acoma people.  It was where they originally lived.  Their spoken history tells that once, when most of the people were on the valley floor, a terrible storm occured, washing out the only trail up the mesa.  There was no way to rebuild the trail.  A Grandmother and her grand-daughter were trapped on top, and rather than face a slow starvation, they jumped to their deaths. 

Prayer ladders are still used ceremonially, to access the Kivas (religious chambers).  The arrow near the top of this one serves to protect three Kivas that are located on this passage way through the village.

Because the Acoma still live in this village, it was a great opportunity to experience living history.  Acoma women are noted for their pottery and it was sold in the village and displayed in the museum.  Food was also for sale (homebaked bread and pies) and that is what we bought, because we don't know much about pottery, but we can always use a few good carbs.  

Here are a few more pictures from Sky City.  We really enjoyed our day; it was an enjoyable way to increase our knowledge and, hopefully, understanding of Southwest history.

To the right is a picture of one of the ovens the Acoma have used for centuries to bake bread.    The gentleman at left is pounding clay to prepare it for the women to use in making pottery.    

      
 

An Acoma family that has been living and working elsewhere and have now retired are building this new house on the edge of the pueblo, so that they can return to their ancestral home.  We were told that a lot of the residents go elsewere during the winter because of the zero to minus 20 degree weather. 

Comments

[Sallie (FullTime-Life)]

Joe -- We took the RoadTrek to the Oregon Coast this summer and to Portland last week. We really enjoyed having it -- in Portland we moved around town to four different RV Parks. We're also using it as our daily driver car most of the time.

[Joe Todd]

Thanks so much for the repost. I was fortunate to visit Chaco Canyon once a long time ago but the Acoma and Sky City are new. As you know from my blog this is my favorite kind of post. You have that class B Roadtrek now if I remember correctly. Have you made any day trips with it. Wishing you and your husband the best and happy exploring

[Margot at Joyfully Retired]

I see we are both feeling the need for warmer weather and blue skies today. We have never been to Sky City but it's on the list now for our next trip to New Mexico. I sure wouldn't mind being there right now.

It's very interesting to read about the Acoma people. I definitely want to know more. Their's is quite the accomplishment.

Thanks for linking to me on Joyfully Retired. Hope your week ahead is a good one.

[Sonia Taylor Kirk 1975]

Hi Sallie,

I have always wanted to visit this area...thanks for the info and the great pictures...going to have to put it on my vacation wish list soon! Have a Merry Christmas! Miss Bloomers/Sonia

[Chari]

Hi Sallie...

My friend, I'm so happy to see you today! Thank you for joining in with Sunday Favorites this week! Wow...what a great post to share with us...I found it to be very interesting!!! Wow...the scenery here is absolutely gorgeous! I have been to New Mexico several times but never to Sky City. I would love to see it! I have always been so interested in the Native American culture and history and have done some studying about it but I have never heard of the Acoma. It is just amazing that there are nearly 600 Acoma that still inhabit the pueblo...eekks...and to think with no electricity or running water! Of course, I enlarged all of your wonderful photos so I could get all the details. I would love to see some of the Acoma pottery! Isn't it interesting that some of the Native American cultures embrace a matriarchial society? I think they are the only culture that does!

Sallie, thank you so much for sharing your trip to Sky City with us...what a treat!

Warmest wishes and Christmas Blessings to you and your family, my friend!

Chari @Happy To Design

[Diann @ The Thrifty Groove]

Great pictures! looks like a wondeful place to visit!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

[Chatty Crone]

That was a nice history lesson. People were living there 2000 years ago - way before old Columbus!

[Shirley Corwin]

Wow, that is so interesting. Thanks for re-posting it.