San Felipe Pueblo, New Mexico

The San Felipe Pueblo or Pueblo Katishtya among the Pueblo peoples and speak Eastern Keres, considered Insulated language today. The name derives from the Spanish name for the apostle Philip, as the Spaniards named their missions to saints of the Catholic Church. Many missions were again erected in germ cells of new Pueblo communities or adjacent to existing pueblos to missionary work among the Indians. In the Spanish archives in 1598 Katishtya Pueblo is first mentioned as Castixes, the Spanish adaptation of the proper name. The Pueblo is located in the southwestern United States, on the Rio Grande in New Mexico, about 50 km southwest of Santa Fe.

History

Today's Pueblo dates back to the early 16th century and is the fourth village with the Indian name Katishtya. The first, a little further south, Pueblo was abandoned before the Spanish arrived. The second was called San Felipe by Castano de Sosa and was in 1591 on the east bank of the Rio Grande at the foot of Tamita Mesa. Here is a mission was built and operated by the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, when the inhabitants destroyed the church and its Pueblo abandoned in the early 17th century. Fearing reprisals, the Spanish San Felipe collected with other refugees in Cieneguilla, a fortified city north of Cochiti.

In 1693 General Diego de Vargas persuaded the residents of San Felipe to leave their fortress. Then we built the third village called Katishtya in a sheltered position at the height of a mesa west of the Rio Grande. San Felipe was then appears the Spaniards and sent them warriors to help to subdue other Pueblo tribes. This village was abandoned in 1700 and was erected the modern Pueblo at the foot of the mesa. The church dates from 1706.

Life and culture

San Felipe tells Santo Domingo the reputation of being a very conservative Pueblo. A cacique is the religious leader of the village and appoints all secular officials and all members of the Council. This form of government prevented elections and limits the participation of young members in internal affairs of. The number of young people who leave the Pueblo to seek work, is constantly growing in recent years. The farm labor has lost both its importance as well as to economic interest, but could rise again if the present plans for land and irrigation run.

San Felipe was among the Rio Grande Pueblos always been known for its beautiful ceremonial dances, and in recent years a number of old rituals have been reintroduced. Except for a recent unsuccessful attempt to revive the pottery, no handicraft products are produced in this village. In 2000 there were 2,606, of which 1,350 permanent inhabitants, in which around 198 km ² large reserve.