Walatowa

Walatowa means “This is the Place” in the Towa language of the Jemez Indians, and it is the name of their Pueblo, one of the 19 pueblos in New Mexico. The Jemez (Pronounced Hemez) are a group of Tanoan Amerindian peoples who migrated to the area of Northern New Mexico in the 13th century. Today’s village is nestled in a valley of the Jemez mountains off a scenic National Byway, a 45-minute drive from Albuquerque and a bit less than an hour and a half from Santa Fe. We were invited by a Jemez artist to visit on December 12, when they celebrate the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a day with both deep religious and cultural significance. This day is celebrated with the traditional Los Matachines dances, a vibrant Spanish-influenced dance with unique masked dancers and music.

The Matachines dance was first recorded as such in Spain in the first half of the 17th century, when it celebrated the triumph of Christianity over the Moors. It continues to be performed in Mexico and the American Southwest, where it has come to represent the blending of Catholic traditions and Pueblo culture. Jemez preserves two distinct styles of the dance, the Spanish style with violins and a guitar, and the Native version with drums, rattles, and singers. Photography is not allowed on the pueblos, specifically during dances, so this is not my video but one online made several years ago. In some of the footage, you may spot a little girl dressed in white weaving among the lines of costumed dancers. She represents purity and goodness, either Montezuma’s mistress, Malinche, or the Virgin Mary, who must defeat evil in the form of a boy dressed as a bull. In the Spanish version we watched, both children were no more than 5 or 6 years old. The girl selected from the community had to have incredible stamina as she was required to follow the steps of the dance leader for hours. 

We have attended dances in other pueblos, but this experience was different and seemed more personal. There were fewer Anglos present as Jemez is located further off the beaten path than most other pueblos that are easily accessible from the main north-south artery of Interstate Highway 25. It made us feel that we were seeing something even more special than what we had in the past. Coming from the older demographic of Santa Fe, we had never seen a local crowd with so many infants and pre-primary school-age children. Although this was truly a community event, we felt welcome. Any other pueblo dances we have been to, you had to bring your own folding chair if you needed to sit, but here, there were benches set out in front of homes, and room was made on the front steps for those who were not necessarily Native.

The central plaza where the dances took place was ringed by tables with families selling objects mainly made in the pueblo, along with bread, cookies, and sweets. The food that we saw more of than anything else was popcorn! Some of the older kids even purchased drinks made from popcorn in different flavors.

The drive was worthwhile on its own. Once we got off of I-25, we passed every fast-food restaurant you have ever heard of, before heading out on a 68-mile stretch known as The Jemez Mountain Trail. One of the places I have loved since childhood is the German part of Switzerland with its snowcapped mountains and rugged terrain. This was different but just as inspiring, with a topography of rock formations of deeper and richer red as we progressed. The route continues beyond the Pueblo to Jemez Hot Springs and an extensive nature preserve called the Valles Caldera, and through to Bandelier National Monument. This time, we only went as far as the pueblo, so we missed what are reputed to be even more wonderful views. We were happy not to try to do it all, but rather enjoy what we had seen and learned about a place so near to where we live and yet part of another world.