Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
264
Tips
Pueblo Etiquette: Do's & Don'ts
Those who are not Native American are welcome to visit Indian pueblos and
reservations; however, there are some guidelines you should follow as a guest
on tribal land.
Native American reservations and pueblos have their own systems of gov-
ernment and, therefore, their own laws and regulations. If you don't follow
their laws, you will be subject to punishment as outlined by the American
Indian government. The best thing that could happen is that you'd simply be
asked to leave.
Stay out of cemeteries and ceremonial rooms, such as kivas, as these are
sacred grounds. Remember, these are not museums or tourist attractions in
their own right; they are people's homes. Don't peek into doors and windows,
and don't climb on top of buildings.
Most pueblos require a permit to carry a camera or to sketch or paint on
location, and many prohibit photography at any time. If you want to take pic-
tures, make a video, or sketch anything on pueblo or reservation land, find out
about permits and fees in advance.
Do not wander around on your own if the residents have asked that you visit
the pueblo only by guided tour. If, on a guided tour, you are asked not to take
pictures of something, or are asked to stay out of a certain area, please follow
the guidelines. If you don't have to visit by guided tour, don't go into private
buildings without being escorted by someone who lives there or who has the
authority to take you inside.
Be respectful of ceremonial dances. Do not speak during dances or ceremo-
nies and don't applaud at the end of the dance—they aren't dancing for your
amusement; they are dancing as part of their ceremony.
In short, be courteous and don't do anything you wouldn't do in your own
mother's house.
9
A STATE MONUMENT IN THE AREA
Coronado State Monument When the Spanish explorer Coronado traveled
through this region in 1540-41 while searching for the Seven Cities of Cíbola, he win-
tered at a village on the west bank of the Rio Grande—probably one on the ruins of the
ancient Anasazi Pueblo known as Kuaua. Those excavated ruins have been preserved in
this state monument.
Hundreds of rooms can be seen, and a kiva has been restored so that visitors can
descend a ladder into the enclosed space, once the site of sacred rites. Unique multicol-
ored murals, depicting human and animal forms, were found on successive layers of wall
plaster in this and other kivas here; some examples are displayed in the monument's small
archaeological museum.
485 Kuaua Rd., Bernalillo. & 505/867-5351. Admission $3 adults, free for children 16 and under. Wed-
Mon 8:30am-5pm. Closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's. To get to the site (20 miles north
of Albuquerque), take I-25 to Bernalillo and US 550 west for 1 3 / 4 miles.
 
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