Acoma: Pueblo in the Sky

For centuries the people of Acoma have endured newcomers on the New Mexican plains who often came at once to marvel at, and manipulate, the Acoma way of life. Through the advent of rival tribes, the Spanish, and the thousands of tourists who now visit Sky City every year, the Acoma have weathered years of such intrusions. This book takes a look at the problems that the Acoma people have faced and the focused attention to preserve their Native traditions.

The only official history of the Sky City sanctioned by the tribal council, Acoma: Pueblo in the Sky chronicles the social, economic, and political history of the Acoma tribe. For centuries the people of Acoma have endured newcomers on the New Mexican plains who often came at once to marvel at, and manipulate, the Acoma way of life. Through the advent of rival tribes, the Spanish, and the thousands of tourists who now visit Sky City every year, the Acoma people have weathered years of such intrusions. Drawing on tribal documents, Minge traces the evolution of the Pueblo and explores Acoma’s ongoing struggle preserve their traditions. He pays particular attention to the problems that beset the nation during the twentieth century and demonstrates how, through their successful efforts to regain lost lands, the development of their economy, and the creation of their own social-service programs, they have persevered.