Taos Pueblo is the furthest north of the pueblos along the Rio Grande. From 1598 –1680 only 70 Spanish colonists lived in the area. This allowed the pueblo to be spared from the constant scrutiny of the colonists. However, the Pueblo was also impacted by the injustices of the Spanish Crown. They joined the neighboring villages during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. That would not be the last battle for Taos Pueblo.
Victory 64 Years in the Making
Behind the world-famous multi-storied pueblo sits the Taos Mountains and the Pueblo’s sacred Blue Lake. In 1906 the US Congress designated an area of the Rocky Mountains that included part of the Taos Mountains as a national forest. The new federal “land-grab” law included Blue Lake. The Pueblo protested but its voice was not heard for 64 years. In 1970 48,000 acres were returned to the Pueblo including Blue Lake.
Preserving Tradition
Taos Pueblo is the only New Mexico pueblo that regularly incorporates the use of white in their attire. Manuel Pacheco is shown wearing white moccasins draped in a white blanket. San Geronimo is the patron saint of Taos Pueblo. His Catholic feast day is celebrated on September 30th. The Catholic community of the city of Taos gathers at the Pueblo feast day to honor St. Jerome.