Pueblo Indians

While in Albuquerque we (mostly me) became very interested in the Ancient to Modern history and current status of the Pueblo Indians.
The word Pueblo means "little city" and there are several (about 14) Pueblo's that survived over time. The picture to the right is one of them. We were unable to take pictures in the Cultural Center, so we are unable to show the difference between old and new styles.
Each Pueblo has a different name, and each is a separate culture, although they share similar heritages. The differences are in how they make their pottery, how they dress and the style of their jewelry. They share similar tribal dances.
According to history, the Spanish came to America very early in America's history and gave a cross and a Saint to each Pueblo. The Indians incorporated the Catholic religious rites into their ancient spiritualism. At the same time they seem to have retained the "Naturalist God" that honors their ancient rituals while honoring the more modern religion. I must study this further!
As we went west on I-40 we saw many of the current Pueblo sites. Most of them have a Casino by the exit and the actual Pueblo is way off the road and visitors are not very welcome. One exception, the Sky City Pueblo, offers tours but insists that the tourists honor their rituals. For instance, we must sample any foods offered to us, and we must break off a bit of the food and place it in their "spirit bowl" to honor those who have passed.
Going about the Country and seeing all the different cultures is absolutely fascinating.