by Nineteen sovereign Pueblo nations can be found in New Mexico today. Their ancestral lands once stretched into Colorado and Arizona, home to magnificent dwellings like Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde. Despite centuries of colonization, Pueblo people have fiercely guarded their identity and traditions. They balance modern lives with ancient values—love, respect, faith, and harmony with the Earth. Year-round ceremonies keep them connected to their communities, ancestors, and land. Pueblo culture endures, adapting yet unwavering in its core beliefs, and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, serves as a hub for their communities and entry into their world for outsiders.
During my visit, a family from one of the pueblos was performing indigenous dances in the center’s courtyard.
The permanent exhibition at the Center is called “We Are of This Place: The Pueblo Story” and is inspired by the traditions that have been passed down for generations.
Inside the museum, the Indian Pueblo Kitchen serves indigenous and creative foods, helping to preserve Pueblo traditions. The restaurant is highly-rated, and I did greatly enjoy my blue corn griddle cakes, with quinoa, currants, piñon, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, triple berries, and syrup!
