PECOS INDIAN PUEBLO

PECOS INDIAN PUEBLO IS THE LARGEST OF THE PUEBLOS AND MOST POPULAR. THEY SPEAK A LANGUAGE OF THE TANOAN FAMILY. THEY ARE ALONG THE UPPER REACHES OF THE PECOS RIVER, 30 MILES FROM SOUTHEAST FROM SANTE FE. DURING PREHISTORY THE PECOS FOLKS OCCUPIED NUMEROUS 200 - 300 ROOM PUEBLOS.IN 1540 WHEN THE FIRST, SPANIARDS CAME THROUGH UNDER CORONADO THE TRIBE WAS IN A COMMUNAL STRUCTURE AT PECOS. THEY PROBABLY ORIGINATED FROM THE NORTH AND SHIFTED ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE. THE PRINCIPAL PUEBLO OF THE TRIBE.

WHEN CORONADO VISITED PECOS THERE WERE 2500 PEOPLE RESIDING IN TWO GREAT COMMUNAL BUILDINGS ON THE TERRACE. THE PUEBLO RAIDED BY COMANCHES IN 1790 TO 1793 IN WHICH EVERY MAN WAS KILLED! THEN THERE WERE EPIDEMICS BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE PROXIMITY OF THE WATER TO THE CEMETERY. THEY HAD ABOUT 26 CLAMS.

PECOS IS A MIXTURE OF THE OLD SPANISH AND MODERN WEST. IT IS AT 7000 FEET ELEVATION AND HAS PINE SCENTED AIR. THEY HAVE GALLERIES AND GIFT STORES. PECOS MEN WERE MIDDLE MEN IN THE TRADING ACTIVITIES BETWEEN THE RIVER PUEBLOS AND PLAINS TRIBES. THEY WERE ECONOMICALLY POWERFUL AND PRACTICED IN THE ARTS AND CUSTOMS OF THESE TWO DIFFERENT CULTURES.

THEY PRACTICED ANCIENT TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL PATTERNS. PLANTED SACRED CORD, COTTON, BEANS, AND SQUASH. THIS PUEBLO IS PREPARED FOR ANY TYPE OF ATTACK AS THEY HAVE A LARGE WALL AROUND THE PUEBLO WITH DEFENSIVE AMMUNITION.

THEY EXPERIENCED AN ELABORATE CEREMONIAL LIFE. THEY HAD MANY KIVAS, REACHED OUT TO THE NURTURING SPIRITS OF ALL THINGS. HARMONY AND FITNESS WERE THE HIGHEST IDEALS. THE SPANIARDS THOUGHT THE PECOS WERE EITHER ENEMIES OR POWERFUL ALLIES.

DURING PREHISTORIC TIMES AROUND 1000 A.D. THE FIRST PRE PUEBLO PEOPLE BUILT ROCK AND MUD VILLAGES IN THE PRESENT AREA OF THE PECOS. THEIR SURROUNDING LAND HAD MANY NATURAL RESOURCES. THEY USED EVERY PLANT FOR FOOD, CLOTHING, SHELTER, MEDICINE AND TURNED EVERY PART OF THE ANIMALS THEY HUNTED INTO A USEFUL ITEM. THEY WERE PRIMARILY FARMERS. THEY BUILT CHECK DAMS TO SLOW RUNOFF AND PLANTED THEIR CROPS WHERE TOPSOIL COLLECTED. THEY HAD STOREROOMS PILED HIGH WITH CORN FOR THREE YEARS! THIS PUEBLO NOW HAS A NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK WITH ARTIST'S DEMONSTRATIONS, AND GUIDED TOURS.


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