Every September 2nd, I try and travel to the home of my tribe, the Acoma Pueblo, and celebrate with them during St. Stephen Feast Day! Its always an incredible experience whenever I have the opportunity to go and spend time with my family, and be surrounded by my culture. I wanted to take this time to share with you a little history about my background and respectful ways for you to engage with it as well!
Acoma Pueblo, sometimes known as “Sky City” for being built on top of a mesa, is one of the oldest inhabited communities in present-day US, and is still home to over 5000 tribal members. Walking through its streets, you can see how the Pueblo has preserved its roots and traditions with many of the homes retaining their original designs, and some of them still lived-in year round. The community also maintains the well-known historical monument, the San Estevan del Rey Mission, a church constructed during the Spanish occupation.
Over the years, aspects of Acoma and Spanish culture mixed together, resulting in celebrations such as Feast Days, which commonly feature traditional dances, foods, and parts of both cultures. There are many Feast Days celebrated across just as many Pueblos, and one celebrated at the Acoma Pueblo is the St. Stephen Feast Day, the patron saint of Acoma.
Having persevered and preserved their traditions for so long, the Acoma people keep much of their culture close to the heart and rarely share their traditions with non-tribal members, but there are times they open up their homes and allow for others to educate themselves about a culture that is still very much alive! So, while I can’t share everything with you, I can take you through some of what you can expect from a visit to the Acoma Pueblo during St. Stephen Feast Day.
Usually, people can only visit Acoma while on a guided tour, but during Feast Days, they’re allowed to explore a little more of the Pueblo than they’re typically allowed. It all starts at the Visitor Center at the base of the Pueblo, where you can then take a bus to come up for the festivities. The lines for this can get very long, so I definitely recommend coming as early as you can so you have plenty of time to enjoy yourself.
During the celebration, you can watch dancers, enjoy incredible food, and peruse a variety of vendors from both Acoma and other tribes! While we love giving guests the opportunity to educate themselves about and experience our culture, its still important to keep in mind the respectful ways to engage with your surroundings while you’re there.
While you usually require a permit to take photographs at Acoma, during Feast Days, there is a strict no photography rule anywhere on site. Also, while you’re allowed to roam around more than usual during the celebration, keep in mind that some of the buildings are still people’s homes, and certain areas are still off-limits!
Also, its important to keep in mind that the practices and dances you’re seeing are more than just for the celebration, and have deep roots within Acoma culture, and they should be viewed with respect and the knowledge that it’s a privilege to see.
If you ever see me around during a Feast Day, please feel free to come say hi! While I may not be in my traditional clothing during every celebration, I wanted to share a photo of me in them which you can see below.
This year’s feast day may have passed, but there’s still plenty more to come in the future! Click here to learn more about Acoma Pueblo and how you can schedule a tour!
