Puerta Verde Taos Pueblo NM

Horno de Pan Taos Pueblo, NM

Monday morning we drove two miles north of Taos to a civilization dating back over a thousand years at Taos Pueblo (www.taospueblo.com), “The Place of the Red Willows”. A Native American cemetery of 1619 held graves of those killed in the revolt of 1680. Drying racks were used to dry grains and meats in the hot summer sun. Outdoor adobe ovens called horno were used to bake bread and pastries over a cedar fire. The native language Tiwa is unwritten and unrecorded even today. Red Willow Creek flows with clear, icy water from Blue Lake high in the nearby Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The North House, Hlaauma, is built of adobe in multiple stories which were originally accessed only by ladders which could be pulled up to prevent entry by enemies. The South House, Hlaukkwima, is smaller and also does not include running water or electricity. Doorways and windows have been added and the pueblo is still inhabited by Native Americans today. The San Geronimo Church built in 1850 has been faithfully tended and continues to provide services.