Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

By Jack McNeel

Albuquerque, N.M. – Major reconstruction and reconfiguration have upgraded the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center into a more modern, more chic facility honoring the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico while not forsaking its comfortable appeal which has been attracting thousands of people annually since it first opened in 1976.

                I recall visiting the Center shortly after it first opened and many times over the years and always being entranced with the art and architecture, the dancing in the open, circular central plaza, the exhibits representing the different Pueblos, and enjoying numerous meals in the small restaurant which was part of the complex. That all remains but significant upgrades have truly enhanced the entire Center; have brought it into the 21^st century while still honoring the ancestry and history of the past generations.

                Visitors will immediately notice a change as they approach the front door. A huge bronze statue created by Jemez sculptor Estella Loretto, now towers near the entrance showing a Pueblo man dressed in a short tunic, or breechcloth, with a blanket over one shoulder and preparing to beat a hand drum. It’s a dynamic piece of art and prepares visitors for what’s to come once they enter the building.

Changes continue once inside. First of all there is simply more space. Over the past two or three years an additional 20,000 square feet has been added. Marketing Director, Tazbah McCullah, explains the addition. “Part of the additional space was for a restaurant, which is brand new space. The east lobby includes more area where we could put sculptures and art on the walls. We have more outdoor entertaining area. There’s a patio outside the restaurant plus office space for administration.”

It was lunch time when we arrived so the first stop was at the new restaurant, The Pueblo Harvest Café and Bakery. Seating capacity has been doubled from before, from 150 to 300.  It wasn’t just the size but the casual elegance that struck me. We entered via a high-ceilinged lobby with a number of large comfortable chairs and a tile floor. Peeled logs, vigas, protrude into the room. But what really dominated the room was a massive stone fireplace which opened both into the lobby and into the restaurant behind. High in the chimney at the second floor level is a recessed area, a nichos, and within it was a single large white pot – simple yet very dramatic.

The dining area is comfortable with a wood ceiling. Booths are decorated with Pendleton blanket material and Pueblo art adorns the walls. Weavings are suspended from a peeled pole next to the fireplace. It’s relaxing. The menu reflects the region with many dishes named for the various Pueblos. It’s more than just a name however, as it truly reflects the food of the region. I settled on a Santo Domingo sandwich. It’s basically a turkey sandwich but comes with a salad containing two kinds of squash, corn, and red bell peppers. I was tempted by the stews which include posole, green chili stew, and mutton stew – all favorites in this region.

Can you get fry bread? Of course. Or oven bread. Or a homemade tortilla. Naturally. And for breakfast you can find blue corn pancakes on the menu. Dinner might be elk tenderloin, wild salmon, or bison short ribs.

Dancers entertain and educate visitors every weekend. The large central plaza remains much as before, open to the sky with large murals on the walls created by various Pueblo artists forming the backdrop. An horno and adobe seating is in the center of the plaza and kiva ladders against the adobe colored walls add to the consciousness of Pueblo life.

“Most dancing takes place outdoors,” Tazbah said. “We have a mixture of people. We emphasize the Pueblos but during certain seasons you can’t get Pueblo dancers to come because they have religious functions going on. We have a wonderful group of Navajo, Apache, and Plains style dancers who perform here as well.”

What is new with reconstruction is a large inside room where dancers can perform when weather conditions make this more desirable. The backdrop to the stage shows deer painted in a Pueblo style. There is sufficient room to move from the stage to the main floor should dancers require it. My recent visit happened to coincide with an appearance by a Navajo dance group. New Mexico also has Navajo and Apache reservations within its border.

“Part of the expansion includes converting old restaurant space into new gift shop space,” Tazbah explained. “That will be opening in April. The name of the shop will be Shumakolo Gifts. It’s a Zuni name which means dragonfly. The gift shop will have its own brand identity and the dragonfly symbology is being used for branding because of the stories, traditions and beliefs of the southwest tribes, particularly with all the Pueblos, about how special the dragonfly it, how it pollinates and brings gifts of rain.”

“We’re developing more of a storefront arrangement rather than having to go through the whole patio to get to it. The footprint will be smaller but there will be a whole new configuration of displays as well as products and emphasizing handmade items. We’re bringing in products from up and coming Native American artisans, not strictly Pueblo. There are a lot of wonderful burgeoning Pueblo artists that are getting national recognition so we’ll be having those people. We’ll continue carrying music and books and we have a large selection.”

The museum remains in the basement as before, but with the reconfiguration on the main floor, some of the space that was formerly used by the gift shop will now be converted to additional museum space. “We’ll have a blank slate for new experiences that have to do with contemporary life and culture of the Pueblos. We’ll be talking about a universal life cycle of the pueblos and how their contemporary lives today follow that life cycle, particularly along the river,” Tazbah remarked. “Water is sacred to most tribes so we’re going to depict the life-giving river for the Pueblos as well as showing how they are today. The additional space also gives us a chance to bring up some artifacts we’ve had in the vault that we haven’t had space to show.

Tours for visitors are another recent addition that’s being expanded even further. Tazbah explains, “We launched a package tour a couple of years ago to the Pueblos of Acoma and Zuni. Now we’re expanding that experience to start from the Cultural Center and go up to Santa Clara and the Puye Cliffs. It’s the ancestral home for the people who occupied the area between Tijeras up to Los Alamos. There were hundreds of villages that belonged to the Kha’p’oo Owinge. That was the traditional tribal name. When the Spanish came they changed that to Santa Clara Pueblo.”

This new tour is scheduled to begin in April. All the tours involve a guide from the respective pueblo of the tour. The tours are all all-day tours and include both food and transportation. “It’s a good 8-hour getting visitors totally immersed in Pueblo culture,” Tazbah commented.

Plan a visit to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center if you get to Albuquerque. It’s still the same wonderful experience it’s been in the past – but the recent changes make it even better.