Discover Taos Pueblo: The Continuously Inhabited Town in New Mexico Still Strong After 900 Years

Tucked in the Taos Valley in New Mexico, on both sides of a Rio Grande tributary, sits one of the oldest and best-preserved examples of Native American life in the southwest. The adobe structures of Taos Pueblo have survived since about the 13th century, long before Europeans “discovered” America. In fact, archeologists believe the ancestors of the Taos Natives lived in the valley since as early as 1,000 C.E.

Taos Pueblo is still home to a thriving community of Pueblo people, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited dwellings in North America. Also, Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated as both a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. government and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Let’s take a deeper look at this ancient community.

Built from Clay

Ancestral Puebloans built the long-standing structures of Taos Pueblo using traditional adobe construction techniques. The Pueblos made bricks and other shapes from a strong, durable mixture of local dirt, water, and straw. Those bricks then formed the walls of two multi-story buildings that contain multiple homes built right next to each other. The result is almost like modern condos, just with fewer windows. In fact, the original adobe contained no doors as we think of them today. All access to the residences came from square holes in the roof of each story, connected by wooden ladders.

One reason for Taos Pueblo’s preservation stems from a continued dedication by the Pueblo people. Adobe requires upkeep to maintain its durability. To accomplish this, the community would come together once a year to resurface the buildings with new layers of mud. Even today, the people of Taos Pueblo continue to care for their buildings using traditional methods. Most current inhabitants live in more modern housing outside of the original settlement’s protective walls. However, they still maintain the ancient buildings for ceremonial and cultural uses.

Hlauuma and Hlaukwima

The two remaining adobe structures sit on either side of the Rio Pueblo de Taos, a significant tributary of the Rio Grande. Hlauuma means “North House,” and Hlaukwima means “South House,” corresponding to their side of the river. Each building housed multiple families and common areas used for trade or ceremonies. Thanks to the shiny mica minerals in the mud used to create the buildings and their large size, the Spanish thought Taos Pueblo was one of the fabled cities of gold.

They may not have been made of gold, but Hlauuma and Hlaukwima stood as treasured pillars of their community. Taos Pueblo was a renown center of trade, both for other tribes along the Rio Grande and for their inland neighbors, the Plains Tribes. In fact, it hosted a trade fair every year that brought visitors from all around. When the Spanish arrived in the 1540s, new trade routes connected Taos Pueblo to northern towns in New Spain and Mexico. This further cemented the community’s status as a trade hub in the area.

Resisting the Spanish

When the Spanish began expanding north, Taos Pueblo was one of the first communities they found. That area of New Mexico — and the entirety of the Southwest — belonged to Spanish and Mexican rule. The Spanish arrived in the territory in the 1540s, and Taos Pueblo endured multiple attempts at colonization, religious conversion, and modernization at their hands. Later, when Mexico won independence from Spain in 1810, the Pueblo community continued to resist any changes.

The community at Taos Pueblo objected strongly to Spanish influence. They destroyed multiple iterations of the San Geronimo de Taos, a Catholic church built in the pueblo. The community tore down the church three times in response to increased Spanish presence. The remnants of the original church are still visible within the ancient walls.  

This resistance didn’t end with the Spanish, though. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo drastically changed the borders and ruling party of the area in 1848 after the Mexican-American War. Even then, Taos Pueblo continued to resist. A group of Mexicans and Native Americans gathered in the community. They marched on Santa Fe to display their displeasure at now being considered part of the United States.

Despite their best efforts, however, elements of Spanish Catholicism and Spanish agricultural practices worked their way into the Pueblo traditions. The community today recognizes the historical and cultural importance of these ties, but still prioritizes their Native ancestral traditions. They have continued that fight against modernity, enabling the culture and buildings to retain their traditional ties to the past. This stout resolve is the key reason Taos Pueblo still exists and is celebrated for its significance.

Visiting Taos Pueblo

Today, the community continues to uphold the traditions of its ancestors and protect its way of life. The adobes offer a step back through time. Aside from a front door or two, no modern amenities have been added to the original structures. Now protected on multiple levels by its cultural designations, Taos Pueblo has more layers of defense against the continuing pressure to modernize.

In the community, you can join a guided tour of the adobe any day of the week from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. However, unexpected deaths in the community and religious activities may lead to unforeseen closures. Prices range from $22 to $25 per person, and all proceeds go towards building maintenance and the community.

Though many of the community’s people now live outside the adobe structures, some families still reside in their ancestral homes. Others operate businesses out of the ancient structures. The community asks that visitors not wander into any areas unless clearly marked as a business. Several other guidelines exist to protect the structures and the community. To further support the community, the Taos Pueblo Collective operates out of the visitor center in nearby Taos to sell art and creative works made by the people of Taos Pueblo.