Native American Pueblos and Reservations near Albuquerque

A valued part of the cultural wealth of southwest living in New Mexico is the proximity to Native American Pueblos and Reservations. Native American culture permeates everything from architecture to cuisine in New Mexico. One way to learn more about it is by visiting the numerous pueblos and reservations near Albuquerque. What is the difference between a pueblo and a reservation?

Pueblos are traditional Native American communities of the Southwest. Though some pueblos have few standing adobe buildings, the communities are recognized worldwide for adobe buildings, which are also sometimes called "pueblos." The word pueblo, in Spanish, means "village". An Indian reservation is land which is managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs. Reservations were established when Americans began to forcibly take land from the American Indians, who had lived there for thousands of years. Because the land is federal territory and Native Americans have limited national sovereignty, there are often legal casinos on reservations, usually to attract tourists.

Native American Pueblos are sovereign nations, with their own laws and culture. A basic knowledge of proper etiquette when visiting these homelands is vital. This article from New Mexico magazine provides a brief guide to Native American Pueblos in New Mexico and basic etiquette required when visiting them.

The photo above shows part of the Walatowa Reception Area on the Jemez Pueblo in Central New Mexico (Highway 4, Jemez Mountains). This is the only part of the Jemez Pueblo where photography is allowed.

Soda Dam, Jemez, New Mexico

One of the most interesting attractions along Highway 4 in the Jemez Mountains is Soda Dam, a popular stop for travelers visiting the area. A very deep fault at Soda Dam (roughly perpendicular to the highway) serves as a conduit to bring water to the surface. Because of deep faults in the area, surface waters are able to penetrate deep enough to be heated by the earth itself, which is in turn heated by the molten rock underlying the area. Heated and pressurized water carries gases and minerals in a dissolved form to the surface, just like "hard water deposits" in a home faucet.

The mineral Calcium Carbonate, or Travertine makes up the bulk of the deposit. Minor amounts of other minerals or elements cause the different colors in the formation. The bubbles that can be seen rising in the spring waters of Soda Dam are gases dissolved in the water at depth, which on reaching the surface are released into the atmosphere, similar to bubbles in a carbonated drink are released from a bottle or can when opened.

Soda Dam forms a natural dam to the Jemez River, which cuts through it to continue its course. The unique formation shows the continuous processes of nature both building and destroying the feature at the same time.

Photo by Donald Peterson, April, 2007. See more Jemez, New Mexico photos here.