The people of Nambe descended from the Anasazi. They migrated to northern New Mexico in search of a better climate. The pueblo of Nambe has been in existence since at least the 14th century. Many of the residents continue to speak a dialect of the Tewa language, as well as Spanish and English. They are proud of their self-reliance that undoubtedly stems from their proud history.
Pueblo Revolt 1680
The people of Nambe took part in the 1680 Pueblo Revolt against Spanish oppression. For the next twelve years the people of Nambe, along with neighboring pueblos, managed to keep the Spanish government out of New Mexico. Their leader was Po’pay a Native Indian from Ohkay Owingeh (formerly San Juan Pueblo). He served the Tewa people as an Indian medicine man and religious leader. In recognition of the suffering of his people under Spanish rule, he masterminded the Indian Pueblo Revolt of 1680. The Spaniards were driven completely out of New Mexico for twelve years. His statue is one of two on display in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C.
Indian Reorganization Act 1934
Nambe Pueblo is located at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, 15 miles from Santa Fe. They were one of the Native American groups that relocated during the Reorganization Act of 1934. The people of Nambe moved to California under the premise of assimilating into American society. After two decades many of them decided to move back to their agrarian way of life. They returned home to the fifty remaining families that had stayed. Today, about 600 people live on the pueblo where they sustain themselves through farming.