Acoma Sky City Named National Trust Historic
Site
Owners of
Oldest Continuously Inhabited Community in
North America
Enters Into Cooperative Agreement with
National Trust
(Acoma Sky
City, New Mexico January 31, 2007) Sixty
miles west of Albuquerque, atop a
sheer-walled, 370-foot sandstone mesa, Acoma
Sky City has remained suspended in time for
hundreds of years. With an eye toward the
future, North America’s oldest continuously
inhabited community in North America, Acoma
Sky City is now the 28th National Trust
Historic Site, named by the National Trust.
Overlooking
a vast desert-and-mountain sweep of northern
New Mexico and dating back to 1150 AD, Acoma
Sky City is a vibrant community
characterized by its adobe houses, plazas,
walkways and the San Esteban del Rey Mission
Church, completed around 1640. The Acoma
people have long welcomed visitors to their
community, which was designated a National
Historic Landmark in 1960 and a Save
America's Treasures site in 1999. Today,
approximately 15 families live year-round
atop the 70-acre mesa.
"The Pueblo
of Acoma tribal community is honored to
enter into this important partnership with
the National Trust for Historic
Preservation," said Jason Johnson, Pueblo of
Acoma Governor. "As our country’s 28th
National Trust Historic site, we continue to
fulfill our inherent responsibility to
preserve and perpetuate our traditional way
of life while implementing practical and
sustainable historic and cultural
preservation initiatives centered on
safeguarding the integrity of Acoma culture,
language, history, and arts for future
generations. We wholeheartedly embrace this
designation and look forward to attaining
the objectives of this momentous
partnership."
The Pueblo
of Acoma owns Acoma Sky City, and the tribal
council is responsible for all decisions and
operations. By entering into the agreement
with the National Trust, the pueblo will
avail itself of the National Trust’s
expertise in preservation, conservation and
interpretation as well as national
standards, best practices and legal
advocacy. Furthermore, the agreement allows
Acoma Sky City access to technical services,
special grant funds and cooperative
marketing programs available only to
National Trust Historic Sites.
“Native
American villages, homes and ways of life
are of great interest to our visitors,” said
Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the New
Mexico Tourism Department. “Acoma Sky City’s
designation as National Trust Historic Site
makes it unique among New Mexico’s pueblos.
It is truly one of the most visited and
photographed landmarks in New Mexico and a
beautiful destination. We congratulate
Tribal leaders on their efforts to ensure
Acoma Sky City will remain sacred for all
New Mexicans and their visitors for
centuries to come.”
For the
National Trust, the addition of Acoma Sky
City adds to an ever expanding group of
diverse and cherished pieces of American
heritage. From a massive castle overlooking
the Hudson River to a tenement on
Manhattan’s Lower East Side, from Frank
Lloyd Wright’s Home and Studio to Philip
Johnson’s Glass House, National Trust
Historic Sites are both a legacy from the
past and a gift for the future.
"The
sovereign nation of the Acoma Pueblo has
been an exemplary steward of Acoma Sky City,
and, as the owners of the mesa, it will
continue to preserve this captivating
community," said Richard Moe, president of
the National Trust. "Acoma is living history
– not a museum – and nowhere else can you
better appreciate the full breadth of the
American experience. We’re delighted to work
with the Acoma people to bring even more
attention to this irreplaceable piece of
Pueblo Indian heritage."
Hour-long
tours of Acoma Sky City are offered
throughout the year. Guided by Acoma
residents, they provide an introduction to
the history and culture of the pueblo as
well as an exploration of the church, plazas
and residential areas.
The
mesa-top village is known worldwide for its
unique art and profoundly rich culture.
Pottery—hand coiled and tempered with walls
so thin that they ring with the clarity of a
bell—has been revered by art collectors for
more than a century. Visitors can see
examples of the pottery at the Sky City
Cultural Center and Haak’u Museum or
purchase pottery directly from the artists
along the tour route in the village or from
the expansive gift shop at the Sky City
Cultural Center.
Resources:
Information and Photo
courtesy of:
New
Mexico Tourism Department
