New Mexico: Tesuque

NEW MEXICO: TESUQUE

The Tesuque Pueblo is one of the most conservative and traditional of all pueblos. Situated at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, it spans 26 square miles of pinion-covered hills approximately 9 miles north of Santa Fe. 

The pueblo was established in about 1200 AD and the present-day location was founded in 1694 along the Tesuque River. The pueblo’s economic activities have always been based on agriculture. 

Today:  

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this pueblo is still one of the smallest in population despite its size at over 17,000 acres. Modern day population numbers over 1,150 people, and the tribe has about 231 enrolled members.  

The Tesuque are still renowned for their fine arts from pottery and sculptures to paintings, silverwork and traditional clothing. The tribe operates a casino and hotel, a a senior center and a head start program, as well as a health and fitness center built from gaming revenue.  

Today, more and more residents of the pueblo find employment in Santa Fe and Los Alamos. The median income is $53,929 and the poverty rate is 17.1%.