The Friends of Tijeras Pueblo recently won a $61,366.50 funding grant from the Library of Congress supporting their project “The Ancestral Tiwa World Connected to the Present: Tijeras Pueblo in Context”. When completed it will include interactive exhibits and educational programs at the museum, located at Sandia Ranger Station in Tijeras, near the Tijeras Pueblo archaeological site and interpretive trail.
A cultural crossroad
The 14th century Tijeras Pueblo was a cultural crossroad, according to archaeological research that has been conducted at the ancient ruins over the past 40 years. Interpretations of the research collected have benefited from ongoing collaboration with the Isleta Pueblo and other descendant individuals and communities.
“The Library of Congress has been extremely supportive and helpful,” Judy Vredenburg, visitor information assistant at the museum and author of the Library of Congress’ grant, told The Independent. “The Isleta Pueblo has also been extremely cooperative over the years in helping us with our museum as we are nonnative interpreting their culture. They have reviewed all of the trail signs and all of the material in the museum to make sure that we’re being authentic and respectful.”
A portion of the grant will fund a video in the museum’s clothing exhibit featuring Louis Garcia, a master weaver who identifies himself by the language Tiwa Piro, weaving on a Pueblo loom. The digital aspect of the grant will primarily fund digitalization of a mural map located in the museum painted by Isleta/Jemez artist Deborah Jojola. The digital rendering will also include images from the Library’s collections and oral stories from Jojola and Isleta elders.
“We’ll Be working in cooperation with Isleta Pueblo as it’s really important to acknowledge them, their culture, and give them an opportunity to tell the story their way,” Vredenburg explained. “They really appreciate what we’re doing here and the Pueblo has actually brought some of their young people out to see the exhibits and talk about their traditions. We’re hoping to make it a resource for any Pueblo that wishes to avail itself of the knowledge base and for the rest of the people so that they can have a greater understanding of the Pueblo cultures that existed here long before precontact; before the Spanish came into the area.”
The mural depicts the seasons, stylized representations of the seeds sprouting, tending of fields, domesticated turkeys, day and night and the old trails between different wetlands areas. The Rio Grande flows down the mural and turns into the tail of water serpent symbol Avanyu, a sacred plumed serpent found in the mythology and art of the Tiwa Indians.
Visitors to the museum will soon be able to tap on an image of a Skywatcher on the digital map and hear the voice of an elder or a member from the Pueblo talking about what Skywatcher does. “They had a very well developed idea about astronomy even though they didn’t have telescopes,” Vredenburg said. “Their knowledge about the skies and the movement of the earth from the stars helped them keep track of time.”
The mural also contains a depiction of a Water Watcher who kept track of snowfall. The amount of snowfall determined whether they could expect drought or if they’d have sufficient water for planting and how that water should be managed.
The Friends of Tijeras Pueblo works in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, Cibola National Forest and Sandia Ranger District. They host a variety of events, archaeology, pottery and flint knapping workshops. A Junior Archaeologist Program and special tours are conducted at the Tijeras Pueblo Archaeological site.To arrange a visit to the archaeological site or the museum contact info@friendsoftijeraspueblo.org or call 505-281-3304.