Laguna Pueblo
Encyclopedia
Pueblo people
The Pueblo people are a Native American people in the Southwestern United States. Their traditional economy is based on agriculture and trade. When first encountered by the Spanish in the 16th century, they were living in villages that the Spanish called pueblos, meaning "towns". Of the 21...
in west-central New Mexico, USA
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. The name, Laguna, is Spanish (meaning "lake") and derives from the lake located on their reservation. The real Keresan
Keresan languages
Keresan , also Keres , is a group of seven related languages spoken by Keres Pueblo peoples in New Mexico, U.S.A.. Each is mutually intelligible with its closest neighbors...
name of the tribe is Kawaik. The population of the tribe exceeds 7,000 (enrollment), making it the largest Keresan speaking tribe. Mission San José de la Laguna
Spanish missions in New Mexico
The Spanish Missions in New Mexico were a series of religious outposts established by Franciscan friars under charter from the governments of Spain and New Spain to convert the local Pueblo, Navajo and Apache Indians to Christianity. The missions also aimed to pacify and Hispanicize the natives...
was erected by the Spanish at the old pueblo (now Old Laguna
Laguna, New Mexico
Laguna is a census-designated place in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 423 at the 2000 census. Located west of Albuquerque, Laguna is a former Indian Pueblo village...
), finished around July 4, 1699.
The Laguna people value intellectual activity and education, so a scholarship program has led to many well-educated Lagunas. Uranium mining on Pueblo of Laguna land has contributed to this scholarship program as well as to skilled labor learning among Laguna members. While many Native Americans love basketball, Lagunas and other Pueblos enjoy baseball. Like many Pueblos, the Laguna people are skilled in pottery.
Laguna Construction Company, a construction company owned by the Pueblo of Laguna, is one of the largest U.S. contractors in Iraq, with reconstruction contracts worth more than $300 million since 2004. In addition to its headquarters at the pueblo, Laguna Industries, Inc. maintains offices in Albuquerque, New Mexico; San Antonio and Houston, Texas; Baghdad, Iraq, and Amman, Jordan. In 2007, Laguna Construction employed 75 people, most of whom belong to the pueblo.
The Acoma Pueblo
Acoma Pueblo
Acoma Pueblo is a Native American pueblo approximately 60 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico in the United States. Three reservations make up Acoma Pueblo: Sky City , Acomita, and McCartys. The Acoma Pueblo tribe is a federally recognized tribal entity...
and Pueblo of Laguna have many ties, including location, language and a shared high school.
The Pueblo of Laguna has a well-established Tribal Law system. The Pueblo of Laguna has participated as a "Weed and Seed" tribe . This Department of Justice program studied the enforcement of law and effectiveness of social programs on Native American lands.
Their reservation, at 35°02′15"N 107°15′03"W, lies in parts of four counties: In descending order of included land area they are Cibola
Cibola County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*41.8% White*1.0% Black*41.0% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.1% Two or more races*12.5% Other races*36.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Sandoval
Sandoval County, New Mexico
-Indian reservations:Sandoval County has 12 Indian reservations and two joint-use areas lying within its borders, the second most of any county in the United States -Indian reservations:Sandoval County has 12 Indian reservations and two joint-use areas lying within its borders, the second most of...
, Valencia
Valencia County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.2% White*1.4% Black*3.8% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.0% Two or more races*17.0% Other races*58.3% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
and Bernalillo
Bernalillo County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*69.4% White*3.0% Black*4.8% Native American*2.3% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*4.4% Two or more races*16.0% Other races*47.9% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
Counties. It includes the six villages of Encinal, Laguna, Mesita, Paguate, Paraje and Seama, and had a total population of 3,815 persons as of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
. The reservation is 45 miles (75 km) west of the city of Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
.
The total land area is 2,013.008 km² (777.227 sq mi).
The Irish surname Riley was adopted by many members of the Laguna tribe in the 1800s, for legal use in European-American culture, while they retained their Laguna names for tribal use.
Communities
- EncinalEncinal, New MexicoEncinal is a census-designated place in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 200 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Encinal is located at ....
- LagunaLaguna, New MexicoLaguna is a census-designated place in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 423 at the 2000 census. Located west of Albuquerque, Laguna is a former Indian Pueblo village...
- MesitaMesita, New MexicoMesita is a census-designated place in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 776 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Mesita is located at ....
- PaguatePaguate, New MexicoPaguate is a census-designated place in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 474 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Paguate is located at ....
- ParajeParaje, New MexicoParaje is a census-designated place in Cibola County, New Mexico, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP population was 669.-Geography:Paraje is located at ....
- SeamaSeama, New MexicoSeama is a census-designated place in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 333 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Seama is located at ....
Education
Primary and middle-school education is provided by the Laguna Department of Education, which also operates Early Childhood program and adult education programs. The high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
is shared with nearby Acoma Pueblo
Acoma Pueblo
Acoma Pueblo is a Native American pueblo approximately 60 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico in the United States. Three reservations make up Acoma Pueblo: Sky City , Acomita, and McCartys. The Acoma Pueblo tribe is a federally recognized tribal entity...
.
Language
Lagunas speak a KeresanKeresan languages
Keresan , also Keres , is a group of seven related languages spoken by Keres Pueblo peoples in New Mexico, U.S.A.. Each is mutually intelligible with its closest neighbors...
language. This language family is a linguistic isolate.
Laguna Development Corporation
The Laguna Development Corporation; founded in 1998, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Pueblo of Laguna. Laguna Development is a federally chartered tribal corporation formed under Section 17 of the 1934 Indian Reorganization ActIndian Reorganization Act
The Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934 the Indian New Deal, was U.S. federal legislation that secured certain rights to Native Americans, including Alaska Natives...
.
The company develops and operates the tribe’s retail-based outlets, including two travel centers, a supermarket, a convenience store, an RV park, an arcade, a Superette and three casinos on the Pueblo of Laguna reservation that spans Cibola County, Bernalillo, Valencia
Valencia, New Mexico
Valencia is a census-designated place in Valencia County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 4,500 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Valencia is located at ....
and Sandoval
Sandoval County, New Mexico
-Indian reservations:Sandoval County has 12 Indian reservations and two joint-use areas lying within its borders, the second most of any county in the United States -Indian reservations:Sandoval County has 12 Indian reservations and two joint-use areas lying within its borders, the second most of...
counties.
Several Laguna Pueblo businesses are along tourist and truck route corridors that attract New Mexico tourists, long- and short-haul truck drivers, and residents of nearby Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
. Other Laguna Development businesses provide basic services to local tribal communities.
Notable Laguna Pueblo members
- Paula Gunn AllenPaula Gunn AllenPaula Gunn Allen was a Native American poet, literary critic, lesbian activist, and novelist.Born Paula Marie Francis in Albuquerque, Allen grew up in Cubero, New Mexico, a Spanish-Mexican land grant village bordering the Laguna Pueblo reservation...
, author - Lee FrancisLee FrancisElias Lee Francis III was a Laguna Pueblo-Anishinaabe poet, educator, and founder of the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers.-Family:...
, author, educator, researcher - Michael KanteenaMichael KanteenaMichael Kanteena is an award-winning potter from Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico. He is best known for his pottery inspired by Chaco, Mesa Verde and other Ancestral Pueblo pottery. Kanteena also makes pottery inspired by historic kachina dolls and kachina masks...
, potter - Lee MarmonLee MarmonLee H. Marmon is an acclaimed Native American photographer and author. Born of mixed blood in New Mexico's Laguna Pueblo, he has become globally recognized for his prolific and distinguished black-and-white portraits of his tribal elders, who collectively comprised the tribe's last generation to...
, photographer - Carol Lee SanchezCarol Lee SanchezCarol Lee Sanchez is a poet, visual artist, essayist, teacher and mother of three adult children. She is a native of New Mexico and her cultural heritage is mostly Laguna Pueblo and Lebanese-American. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Art Administration from San Francisco State University in 1978...
, poet, artist, educator - Leslie Marmon SilkoLeslie Marmon SilkoLeslie Marmon Silko is a Native American writer of the Laguna Pueblo tribe, and one of the key figures in the second wave of what Kenneth Lincoln has called the Native American Renaissance...
, author
See also
- Keresan languagesKeresan languagesKeresan , also Keres , is a group of seven related languages spoken by Keres Pueblo peoples in New Mexico, U.S.A.. Each is mutually intelligible with its closest neighbors...
- Pueblo peoplePueblo peopleThe Pueblo people are a Native American people in the Southwestern United States. Their traditional economy is based on agriculture and trade. When first encountered by the Spanish in the 16th century, they were living in villages that the Spanish called pueblos, meaning "towns". Of the 21...
- Anton DocherAnton DocherAnton Docher was a French Roman Catholic priest, missionary and defender of the Indians. He was born in 1852 in Le Crest, a small wine growing village of Puy de Dôme in Auvergne. He lived in the pueblo of Isleta in the state of New Mexico for 34 years...
, "The Padre of Isleta", served as a priest in Laguna during his long period in Isleta. - Anaconda, New MexicoAnaconda, New MexicoAnaconda was a small mining community in Valencia County, New Mexico. The town came into existence in the early 1950s when the Anaconda Copper Company of Butte, Montana opened up a uranium ore processing plant northwest of Grants, near the Jackpile Mine , the world's largest open-pit uranium mine...
External links
- Pueblo of Laguna Website
- Laguna Department of Education
- Laguna Pueblo links, an extensive list by Will Karkavelas, Osaka UniversityOsaka University, or , is a major national university located in Osaka, Japan. It is the sixth oldest university in Japan as the Osaka Prefectural Medical College, and formerly one of the Imperial Universities of Japan...
- Historic photos of San Jose de la Laguna Mission Church & Convento, by Historic American Buildings SurveyHistoric American Buildings SurveyThe Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
. - More historic photos of Pueblo of Laguna are available here.