Picuris Pueblo, New Mexico
Encyclopedia
Picuris Pueblo is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Taos County
, New Mexico
, United States
. The population was 86 at the 2000 census
. The Pueblo people
are from the Tiwa
ethnic group of Native Americans
. Picurís Pueblo is a member of the Eight Northern Pueblos
.
Picuris village has occupied its present location since around 750 CE. The Picuris people previously lived in an earlier, larger village now known as Pot Creek, near Taos
.
Spanish explorer Don Juan de Oñate
called them "pikuria" - those who paint.
and is 18 miles south of Taos Pueblo
. Average elevation in the pueblo is over 7,000 feet, making agriculture challenging.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the CDP has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 86 people, 38 households, and 18 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 192.7 people per square mile (73.8/km²). There were 60 housing units at an average density of 134.4 per square mile (51.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 10.47% White, 70.93% Native American, 16.28% from other races
, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.74% of the population.
There were 38 households out of which 10.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 21.1% were married couples
living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.6% were non-families. 42.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 16.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $11,528, and the median income for a family was $16,875. Males had a median income of $21,000 versus $23,333 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $12,492. There were 36.0% of families and 28.7% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 45.0% of those over 64.
. Their own name for their pueblo is Pinguiltha, meaning "mountain warrior place" or "mountain pass place." They speak the Picuris language
, a dialect of the Northern Tiwa language, part of the Tanoan language family. Their tribal officers, led by a tribal governor, are elected every two years.
In 1990, 147 of the 1,882 enrolled tribal members lived in the pueblo; however, the number was reduced to 86 in 2000.
In 1991, the tribe opened the four-star Hotel Santa Fe and the Amaya Restaurant, serving Native American cuisine
, in Santa Fe, New Mexico
.
Picuris is known for its micaceous pottery
. Their major feast day is San Lorenzo's Day on August 10.
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Taos County
Taos County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*68.7% White*0.4% Black*6.2% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.9% Two or more races*20.1% Other races*55.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, New Mexico
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 86 at 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 Pueblo people
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...
are from the Tiwa
Tiwa people
The Tiwa are group of related Tanoan pueblo peoples in New Mexico and Texas. They traditionally spoke a Tiwa language , and are divided into the two Northern Tiwa groups, in Taos and Picuris, and the Southern Tiwa in Isleta and Sandia, around what is now Albuquerque, and near El Paso.-Name:Tiwa is...
ethnic group of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. Picurís Pueblo is a member of the Eight Northern Pueblos
Eight Northern Pueblos
The Eight Northern Pueblos of New Mexico are Taos, Picuris, Santa Clara, San Juan, San Ildefonso, Nambé, Pojoaque, and Tesuque.Taos and Picuris are Tiwa-speaking pueblos; the rest speak Tewa. Tiwa and Tewa are closely related languages of the Kiowa Tanoan language family...
.
Picuris village has occupied its present location since around 750 CE. The Picuris people previously lived in an earlier, larger village now known as Pot Creek, near Taos
Taos, New Mexico
Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico, incorporated in 1934. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,700. Other nearby communities include Ranchos de Taos, Cañon, Taos Canyon, Ranchitos, and El Prado. The town is close to Taos Pueblo, the Native American...
.
Spanish explorer Don Juan de Oñate
Juan de Oñate
Don Juan de Oñate y Salazar was a Spanish explorer, colonial governor of the New Spain province of New Mexico, and founder of various settlements in the present day Southwest of the United States.-Biography:...
called them "pikuria" - those who paint.
Geography
Picuris Pueblo is located at 36°12′9"N 105°42′42"W (36.202569, -105.711760). It sits on the western slopes of the Sangre de Cristo MountainsSangre de Cristo Mountains
The Sangre de Cristo Mountains are the southernmost subrange of the Rocky Mountains. They are located in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico in the United States...
and is 18 miles south of Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo
Taos Pueblo is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA...
. Average elevation in the pueblo is over 7,000 feet, making agriculture challenging.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 0.4 square miles (1 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 86 people, 38 households, and 18 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 192.7 people per square mile (73.8/km²). There were 60 housing units at an average density of 134.4 per square mile (51.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 10.47% White, 70.93% Native American, 16.28% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26.74% of the population.
There were 38 households out of which 10.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 21.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.6% were non-families. 42.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 16.3% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $11,528, and the median income for a family was $16,875. Males had a median income of $21,000 versus $23,333 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $12,492. There were 36.0% of families and 28.7% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 45.0% of those over 64.
Tribe
The Pueblo of the Picuris is a federally recognized tribe, whose headquarters is in Penasco, New MexicoPenasco, New Mexico
Penasco is a census-designated place in Taos County, New Mexico, United States. It is on the scenic High Road to Taos. The population is estimated at about 2,320+ .-Geography:Penasco is located at ....
. Their own name for their pueblo is Pinguiltha, meaning "mountain warrior place" or "mountain pass place." They speak the Picuris language
Picuris language
The endangered Picuris dialect of the Northern Tiwa language is spoken in Picuris Pueblo, New Mexico.-Genealogical relations:Picuris mutually intelligible with Taos dialect, spoken at Taos Pueblo...
, a dialect of the Northern Tiwa language, part of the Tanoan language family. Their tribal officers, led by a tribal governor, are elected every two years.
In 1990, 147 of the 1,882 enrolled tribal members lived in the pueblo; however, the number was reduced to 86 in 2000.
In 1991, the tribe opened the four-star Hotel Santa Fe and the Amaya Restaurant, serving Native American cuisine
Native American cuisine
Native American cuisine includes all food practices of the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Information about Native American cuisine comes from a great variety of sources. Modern-day native peoples retain a rich body of traditional foods, some of which have become iconic of present-day Native...
, in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
.
Picuris is known for its micaceous pottery
Native American pottery
Native American pottery is an art form with at least a 7500-year history in the Americas. Pottery is fired ceramics with clay as a component. Ceramics are used for utilitarian cooking vessels, serving and storage vessels, pipes, funerary urns, censers, musical instruments, ceremonial items, masks,...
. Their major feast day is San Lorenzo's Day on August 10.
Notable Picuris people
- Anthony DurandAnthony DurandAnthony Durand was a Native American potter from Picuris Pueblo, New Mexico, United States. He was born in Cortez, Colorado and raised by his grandparents at Picuris Pueblo. He attended primary and secondary school in Peñasco, New Mexico and college at New Mexico Highlands University...
(1956–2009), micaceous potter - Joseph RaelJoseph RaelJoseph Rael is a Native American ceremonial dancer, shaman, writer, and artist. He is also known as the founder of a global network of Sound Peace Chambers...
(b. 1935), ceremonial dancer and shamanism writer
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Taos County, New MexicoNational Register of Historic Places listings in Taos County, New MexicoThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Taos County, New Mexico.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Taos County, New Mexico, United States...
- High Road to Taos, New MexicoHigh Road to Taos, New MexicoThe High Road to Taos is a scenic, winding road through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains between Santa Fe and Taos. . It winds through high desert, mountains, forests, small farms, and tiny Spanish Land Grant villages and Pueblo Indian villages...