šŗšø Tewa Peoples - Indian Cultural Center - Albuquerque, NM - 05.25.2026
Iām in love with the faces of the Tewa peoples of New Mexicoā¦ not in love, like, āI love tacosā or āI love motorcyclesā or āI love apapachoāā¦ itās love loveā¦ not just from the heartā¦ but I feel it in the back of my eyesā¦ and in my breath.
They are beautifulā¦ inside and out. They have all the reasons to be closed and bitter to outsidersā¦ but they are always quick to talk, quick to smile, quick to connect, welcoming, open emotionally and spiritually, sincere and authentic. And every encounter I leave feeling enriched and the power of a universal life forceā¦ the earth, the animals, the people.
I first encountered the Tewa during an early expedition of central New Mexico before I had decided to sell my house and leave Colorado. I stopped by Pojoaque farmerās Market as I was heading home. The Pueblo of Pojoaque is about 25 km North of Santa. The market was at the Poeh Cultural Centerā¦ and had maybe 10 stalls. I chatting up everyone. All were super nice. There were 2 aunties selling some home garden vegetables. The had carrots fatter than I had ever seen. āWhat did you ladies do to make these carrots so big?!?ā
āSecretā¦ā and they giggled away. I bought a handfulā¦ and then thought maybe they pee on them so enormous. Whatever it was it worked.
I was chatting with an Indian couple that were selling art. Sweet people. For some reason it popped out of my mouth that I would like to live hereā¦ I donāt know what part of me was feeling thatā¦ but 6 months later I was living in a tiny back casita of an artistās residence in between the San Ildefonso Pueblo and Pojoaque Pueblo.
I would go to the super on the Pojoaque Peopleā¦ and from the beginningā¦ the people treated me like a neighbor. Lovely stuff.
Today I stopped by the Indian Cultural Center for lunchā¦ and get one of my favorites, an Indian taco. Thereās a museum and in the courtyard they have events and artists. I need some bad energy clearing and some protection for my long tripā¦ so I picked up a turquoise necklace and copper bracelet from the Santa Domingo Pueblo folks (now Kewa Pueblo). I felt better immediately.
I once gave $200 in exchange for a gorgeous turquoise piece from Santa Domingo artista Shirley. She was going through cancer and shared her story after I bought the necklace. I was so movedā¦ I went back with a Buddha and protection items and gave them to here for her journey. Smiles tears happened.
I head to Taos in a couple of daysā¦ visits, pick-up some art work I left behind, ojo caliente hot springsā¦ and visit, one of my three chosen gravesites, Jesus Nazareno Cemetery. Despite being on fire to leave that placeā¦ Iām excited to return for a visitā¦ Iām not sure Iāll be there again afterā¦ with the exception of šµš in spirit.
No one reads this journalā¦ butā¦ if you want to meet me in Taosā¦ Iāll tell you the story of how Dennis Hopper was arrested in 1975 for shooting out the lights in Taos Plazaā¦ allegedly on acid that he won in a poker game at La Fonda Hotelā¦ and thinking the street lights were bears.
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