New Mexico Pueblos and Reservations

Eagle Dance, San Juan Pueblo - Photo: Louis Forsdale

New Mexico has a total of 19 Indian Pueblos, all of which were occupied prior to Spanish settlement in New Mexico. Nearly all the Pueblo peoples are divided into members of clans; Corn, Turkey, Turquoise and many others. Clan members may take turns in the conduct of the pueblo government, in the administration of justice, and in the responsibility for traditional tribal ceremonies. Most Pueblo people speak a variation of two primary linguistic stocks, Keresan or Tanoan, as well as English and often Spanish. The Zuni Pueblo has its own language, unrelated to any of the others. Navajo (Diné), Hopi and Apache tribes do not live in Pueblos but rather in reservations, some of which also extend into Arizona. These tribes also speak their own distinctive languages. Other tribes and nations are represented by the Portal Program, but the majority come from the state of New Mexico.

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