Sweet Treat Spas | Sedona Monthly Magazine | Sedona Arizona art, restaurants, hiking and feature stories

A Journey to the City in the Sky

The Acoma people first built their homes atop a bluff in northeastern New Mexico in A.D. 1150. Today, they welcome visitors to tour their pueblo, sit inside their mission, learn about their complex past and appreciate the pottery that has left an indelible mark on the world of Native American art.

About two years ago, on my way home from Santa Fe, N.M., I noticed the signs for the Acoma Pueblo along Interstate 40. Being a fan of Acoma pottery, I pulled off the highway only to arrive 30 minutes after the last tour of the day. From the center, I could see the pueblo perched high on a mesa – so close and yet I was too late. The image has stayed with me ever since. Visiting Acoma this summer was an unforgettable journey, a glimpse into a culture that was well worth the drive from Sedona. Second only to the tour of the pueblo was the chance to spend time with potter Adrian Trujillo and learn about the methods and madness of traditional pottery making. Sedona Monthly began in-depth profiles of Native American artists in 2007 with a look at a family of Navajo silversmiths. Last year, we delved into Hopi katsina carving and this year we continue our profiles with the Acoma potters. Like that of the Navajo and the Hopi, the Acoma’s tradition and talent deserves the utmost reverence.

Acoma Pueblo
The Southwest has no shortage of landscapes that take your breath away, but some locations fill you with serenity, awe and a deep respect for the people who called this area home long before Europeans ever set foot on the continent. One- hundred-and-two miles from the Arizona border in the heart of New Mexico, we found such a place. Follow a winding road through green hillsides for about 12 miles, and suddenly the road descends into an enormous valley where colorful sandstone mesas and monoliths rise from the valley floor like exotic animals or the hands of eager schoolchildren. Acoma Pueblo sits atop the largest mesa, 367 feet above the cedar and cottonwood trees below. As you continue down the road, passing rock promontories and approaching the Sky City Cultural Center, you get a better view of the homes above you – some have kept careful watch over the surrounding land since A.D. 1150, while others are just being built. But this view isn’t enough. The gentle breeze, isolation, huge sky, smell of wet earth after a summer storm and sound of birds all awaken your sense of exploration. You have to get on top of that mesa.

There’s only one way to explore Acoma Pueblo, and that’s by purchasing a ticket at the cultural center. If you want to photograph the pueblo or any of the Acoma landscape, you also need to purchase a photography permit, and we highly recommend you do so. (Etiquette dictates you still need to ask permission before photographing tribal members or their artwork, and photography of the interior of the San Esteban del Rey Mission or the cemetery grounds is prohibited.) Tours last about 75 minutes. When your scheduled tour time arrives, you’ll be shuttled to the top of the mesa where a guide will lead you on a walking tour (about three-quarters of a mile) of the entire pueblo. The tour begins at the southeast side of the mesa at the towering San Esteban del Rey Mission, which was under construction from 1629 until 1640 under the direction of Fray Juan Ramirez of Spain. Be warned: The stories surrounding the construction of the mission are hard to accept. One story that we’ll never forget involves Acoma families being forced to trade eight of their children for the cast-iron bells atop the church. Inside the mission it’s cool and dark. You’ll find short wooden pews, a dirt floor, a defunct confessional, murals featuring rainbows and corn, and a wood-beamed ceiling where noisy birds nest. The Catholic artwork hanging high above the pews date back to 1841, and the crucifix at the altar was brought in from Mexico in the 18th century. Present-day religious beliefs incorporate Catholicism with the Acoma’s traditional earth-based religion.

Walk outside the mission and past the cemetery walls, and take a deep breath. The atrocities committed against the Acoma in the name of Christianity make the cloud-laden sky seem even heavier. The mood begins to lighten as the route leads you past adobe homes, sleeping dogs and kivas, which are sacred spaces usually open only to men. Sturdy white ladders lead to entrances in the kiva roofs. About 13 families live at the pueblo year-round with more than 4,000 tribal members living on the 431,664-acre Acoma reservation. The tribe is matrilineal, so all homes and property belong to the women. Homes are passed down from mothers to their youngest daughter (or the youngest son if the woman has no daughters) – houses are not sold and continuously remain within families, thus all Acoma have a family home on top of the mesa. Acoma men govern the reservation.

If the name Acoma conjures up images of black, white and orange pottery, that’s because the Acoma are best known for their ceramic works of art. If you’re hoping to return home with a piece of pottery, you won’t be disappointed. Potters sell their wares in front of their homes – everything from whimsical ceramic cats to seed-storage pots to larger, gallery-worthy artworks. Traditionally, it’s the women who make the pots, though men have taken up the craft in recent decades. The artist is usually on hand to answer questions and explain the intricate if not downright mysterious symbols painted on the pottery. Prices range from $5 to hundreds of dollars, depending on the pot’s size and whether or not it was created using traditional techniques or made from a mold. Many artists do not accept credit cards or checks, so make sure you have cash. Tribal members also sell jewelry, fry bread, Indian tea, water, small fruit pies and other snacks along your tour route.

None of the 80-plus homes at the pueblo have running water, electricity or indoor plumbing. Most of the homes have one or two large rooms that are heated with wood stoves. Families are continuously refurbishing and re-building their homes so that modern dwellings stand next to those that are hundreds of years old (even modern homes retain the traditional architecture).

The tour makes its way to the north end of the mesa, where the views get even better. From here you can see the steep road that led you from I-40 to Acoma. Mt. Taylor looms on the horizon. Enchanted Mesa, which has its own tragic tale of starvation and suicide, looks like the mesas in Monument Valley. As the tour ends, you’re given the choice of taking a bus back to the cultural center, making a short walk down the road, or climbing down the stair trail, which was used by the Acoma long before the road was built in 1920. We opted to take the latter, which proved to be an adventurous choice. The steep stair trail makes use of foot- and hand-holds in the side of the mesa, so you might want to think twice about the trail if you’re carrying pottery; however, the chance to use the same route the Acoma used on a daily basis for hundreds of years was too good to pass up.

Sky City Cultural Center
Give yourself enough time when touring Acoma Pueblo to take in the Sky City Cultural Center, a beautiful contemporary take on pueblo-style architecture situated at the base of the mesa beneath the pueblo. The cultural center houses a museum, gift shop, meeting space and restaurant. Behind the museum you’ll find a courtyard where artisans sell their creations. The current center opened in May 2006 after fire destroyed the first center in 2000. We loved the attention to detail at the center, right down to the niches filled with tiles hand painted by local schoolchildren.

Currently, Haak’u Museum features two exhibits, which we recommend you view before touring the pueblo for a better understanding of Acoma history. The Matriarchs is a pottery exhibition focusing on four master potters who are credited with the Acoma pottery renaissance: Lucy Lewis, Juana Leno, Jessie Garcia and Marie Chino. The exhibit also includes a display of utilitarian “whiteware” pottery, information on how pots are traditionally sculpted and the materials used to paint the exteriors.

The second exhibit, on display until November, is The History of the Restoration of the San Esteban del Rey Mission: 1700 – Present. Artifacts on display include a 17th century priest’s vestment, original ceiling beams and tools used in the mission’s construction. In 2007, the mission became the 28th National Trust for Historic Preservation Site – the only tribal site in the U.S. to have such a distinction.

In our opinions, no cultural experience is complete without sampling the local cuisine. Luckily, there’s Yaak’a Café at the cultural center. We ate an early dinner at the café and dined on Red Chile Beef Posole and Green Chile Pork Stew, both considered Acoma Feast Day stews, as well as Traditional Acoma Lamb Stew. All three came with fry bread. The café also serves tamales, burgers, sandwiches, tacos and breakfast. Dine indoors or sit outside and enjoy views of the pueblo.

Acoma Pueblo and Sky City Cultural Center
• Located at exit 102 off I-40 in New Mexico. Head south from the exit and follow the signs to the pueblo, which is about 15 miles from the highway. The pueblo is a four-and-a-half- to five-hour drive from Sedona.
• Open mid-April through mid-October, with tours departing every 45 minutes to one hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; open mid-October to mid-April with tours departing every 45 minutes to one hour from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Check the Web site for closures and reduced hours of operation.
• Dress: Make sure you wear comfortable walking shoes (no flip-flops), a hat and sunscreen – there’s no shade up on the mesa. You can bring water with you.
• Admission: $10 for children; $15 for seniors, military and students; $20 for adults; $10 for camera permits.
• Yaak’a Café hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., mid-April through mid-October; 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., mid-October through mid-April.
• Where to stay: Sky City Casino and Hotel is located north of I-40 at exit 102. The hotel is owned by the Acoma Pueblo and offers free shuttle service to the cultural center (check with hotel for schedule). Rates range from $89 to $129 per night.
• For more information, visit www.skycity.com or call the cultural center at 1-800-747-0181.
September Events at the Pueblo
• Sept. 2 – St. Esteban Feast Day: No tours will be conducted, but the pueblo is open to the public free of charge (shuttles leave from Sky City Casino and Hotel – visitors will walk to the pueblo from the cultural center); 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Photography on feast days is not permitted. Visit the Web site for more details on feast day etiquette.
• Sept. 27 – Eighth Annual Tour de Acoma; Take a 25-, 50-, or 100-mile paved bike ride through the Acoma and Laguna reservations; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit Web site for registration information.