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The Deer Dance on the main plaza at
Ohkay Owingeh, Andrew Garcia in center foreground
OHKAY OWINGEH (formerly SAN JUAN PUEBLO)
In 2005 (after the filming for “Dancing from the
Heart” was finished),
Ohkay Owingeh returned to its original name in the Tewa language
of the pueblo. The name means “place of the strong people.” Previously,
when the Spanish took over part of the pueblo as their first
capital in the area, they had changed the name to San Juan de
los Caballeros.
Ohkay Owingeh, which has one of the largest populations of
all the 19 pueblos, lies about 35 miles north of Santa Fe. Take
Highway 285/84 north to Espanola; at Espanola continue on Highway
68 north a few miles to the marker, and turn left into the Pueblo.
The Eight Northern Pueblos Council organization
has its headquarters at Ohkay Owingeh. It is the usual site
of the annual Eight Northern Pueblos Arts and Crafts Fair in
mid-July.
“Visit the O'Ke Oweenge Arts & Crafts Cooperative
to purchase fine local wares. [Call to check that it's open.] San Juan Batista Church on the
pueblo's plaza offers a compelling architectural contrast to
the surrounding buildings.”
[ From www.newmexiconorth.com/eight.html ]
The Annual Feast Day, open to visitors, is June
24, usually with the Comanche Dance and the Winter Buffalo Dance.
For more information about upcoming dances etc., contact:
the
Governor’s
Office, phone (505) 852-4400
Box 1099, Ohkay Owingeh, NM 87566
Links to Ohkay Owingeh information:
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center go to site:
[ www.indianpueblo.org/ipcc/sanjuanpage.htm ]
New Mexico Office of the State Historian, history of Ohkay Owingeh: [www.newmexicohistory.org/filedetails_docs.php?fileID=510 ]
New Mexico Magazine article go to site:
[ www.nmmagazine.com/NMGUIDE/juan.html ]
Article on name change go to site:
[ www.freenewmexican.com/news/35039.html ]
Linked by permission of the copyright holder, The Santa Fe New Mexican,
Inc.
"Ohkay Owingeh: Pueblo Balances Past and Present," Rio Grande Sun, Espanola, NM, July 26, 2007, go to site: [http://www.riograndesun.com/Community%20Profiles/Ohkay%20Owingeh_July26.pdf] |
