Brian D. Vallo
Museum Director, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center; former First Lieutenant Governor, Acoma Pueblo

One fascinating aspect of New Mexico culture is the existence of Native American pueblos. Mr. Vallo’s presentation gave us a look into those pueblos, with an emphasis on how the Catholic culture of Medieval Spain collided with ancient Native culture and how this fusion of culture still exists today. Each of the Pueblos still retains a mission church from the Spanish colonial days, and in each of these Pueblos excepting the Zuni, the feast day of the saint for which the church was named is honored with a ceremony, open to the public, that has elements of both Catholic and Native culture.

The incorporation of Catholic symbolism into Pueblo culture remains a point of controversy. For example, there is a debate as to whether mission churches in the Pueblos should be understood as permanent symbols or not. Some want them gone, while others incorporate the Churches into their own culture. In any case, as Mr. Vallo pointed out, the symbols from the Churches have taken on an entirely different meaning for Pueblo residents than they did for the Christians who brought them. Examples range from the use of religious iconography to the use of symbols of authority. These symbols are sometimes seen redefined in the context of Pueblo culture and tradition, and other times viewed as symbols of oppression.

In any case, the “complex connections” continue to emphasize, says Mr. Vallo, that the Natives of the Pueblos “are still at a place where we are trying to make sense of the world.”

Labels: 2008 Spring Lecture Series: Medieval New Mexico, Campus Events

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