Acoma, Sky City

Acoma "main street".

One of the oldest continuously inhabited human settlements in present-day United States, possibly the oldest, Acoma Pueblo, is situated in New Mexico, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Albuquerque. The Acoma have lived on top of their table mountain since about 1150 AD. In their own language they call their home Haak'u, "a place prepared".

Acoma seen from the foot of the table mountain.

Acoma is one of 21 pueblos, Native American towns or villages. 19 of them are situated in New Mexico, one in Texas and one in Arizona. Puebloan peoples' cultures have common elements, but they consider themselves separate nations and they speak several different languages.

Acoma is built on top of a table mountain, a place that was easy to defend against neighboring Navajos and Apaches, who sometimes conducted raids to steal crops and cattle. At times, the relations were more peaceful and goods were traded between neighbors. In late 16th century the Acoma were, however, unable to defend their town against the Spanish conquerors' firearms and artillery. In 1599 a Spansh army led by Juan de Oñate destroyed the buildings of Acoma and took 500 prisoners. Women and young men were taken into slavery. The right foot of all grown-up men was chopped off.

The history of the Spanish and the Acoma is bloody. However, the church of  San Esteban del Rey, built by the Spanish in 1629, is a source of pride and a beloved National treasure for the Acoma.

Oñate is considered the founder of New Mexico, but it is hardly surprising that the Acoma do not remember him very fondly. In 1998 a group from Acoma pueblo cut the right foot off a statue of Oñate near the town of Española, New Mexico. I appreciate this kind of civil dispobedience. A more complete account of the events can be read  here. In 1680 Acoma participated in the pueblo revolt, which chased the Spanish out of present-day New Mexico. It took several years before they were able to return. After that, the history of Acoma has been less turbulent.

Today, the historical town of Acoma on top of the table mountain is still inhabited, even though there is no electricity, running water or plumbing. Majority of the Acoma live in modenr buildings nearby - "we like our showers and TV too", as our guide put it. However, every Acoma family still has a house in the old town and most spend at least certain holidays there.

A traditional oven made of clay. According to our guide it can be used for baking pizza.

For a visitor, Acoma provides a very interesting and easy way to learn about an ancient and distinctive way of life. There's a visitor centre on the foot of the table mountain, with a small museum. You can watch a film about the Acoma history there, or in Youtube before your visit (part 1 and part 2). Historical Acoma on top of the table mountain, also known as "Sky City", can only be visited with an Acoma guide. Our guide was, as guides in the U.S. usually are, professional, informative and fun.

Our guide explaining extraordinary entrance arrangements of one of the oldest houses in Acoma.

The oldest standing buildings are from 17th and 18th centuries, but even the newer ones resemble traditional adobe structures. Some modern comforts have been adopted. Glass windows were introduced in 20th century, as were street-level doors. The original entrances were situated on the roofs of the buildings and could only be reached by ladders. This, of course, complicated the everyday life, but made it much more difficult for raiders and conquerors to penetrate the buildings.

Kivas, buildings used for traditional ceremonies, are found in all pueblos. They are still accessed by the roof, and most of them are at leas partially underground. In Acoma, the kivas are distinguished by this kind of double ladders.

Every Acoma is a member of one of about 20 clans. The clan is determined by one's mother, and marriages within the clan is not permitted. There are many things associated with clan membership: for example, a ceremonial chief, the cacique, must be from the Antelope clan. Most pueblo peoples, as well as the Navajo, have a clan system resembling that of the Acoma. It is not only clan membership that is passed by the mother: property is, too. Consequently, every building in Acoma pueblo is owned by the oldest woman in the family, who, according to our guide, exercises a significant power in all decisions - "what the grandmother wants, the grandmother gets". According to the Acoma, the society run by old ladies has been proven functional by thousands of years.

Adobe houses.

The top of the table mountain can be reached by a minibus, the ride is included on the tour fee. Those who want to, can walk back down. We recommend this for everyone who is able to. The stairs carved in the rock are steep, and the New Mexican sun may be scorching. On the way down, spare a thought for the Acoma women who for centuries carried all water needed on top of the mountain in clay pots on their heads.

The top of the stairs.

Acoma stairs.

In the steepest places, hand-girps are carved into the rock to assist climbers.

On the visitor center courtyard stands a memorial to Acoma military veterans. In the U.S. military, the proportion of Native Americans is about twice as high as their propotion of the general population. In most Native communities, the military veterans are held in very high regard. I find this very interesting, and a little surprising, considering the violent and bitter history of the relationship between Native Americans and the U.S. government. Probably one factor is the relatively low income level and high unemployment in many Native communities. The U.S. military provides employment opportunities and, for example, education stipends, which would otherwise be very difficult for the less wealthy to obtain.

We very much enjoyed our visit to Acoma and can sincerely recommend it to everyone. The only complaint was excessively hot weather. Acoma pottery is famous, and there are many opportunities to purchase it directly from the makers both in the visitor center and in the town itself. The Acoma are very reserved about photography, taking pictures of people without asking first is extremely impolite. All photography in Acoma is subject to permission, but the guide fee includes a photo permit. Like on most Native American lands, there is a complete ban of alcohol.

From our Finnish point of view, the U.S. gambling laws are exotic. Generally gambling is very strictly regulated, the state of Nevada being an exception. However, Native American peoples are allowed to run casinos on their own lands, and they are not regulated by the states' statutes. I do not much care about gambling, but if I had to choose, I would rather loose my money in, say, Acoma Sky City Casino than in Las Vegas.

We visited Acoma in June 18th 2015.