The Tewa: History and Myth of a Living People
Introduction
The Tewa are one of six related groups known as the Tanoan peoples of the American Southwest. Today, they live in six Pueblos along the northern Rio Grande in New Mexico—Ohkay Owingeh (formerly San Juan), Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Pojoaque, Nambe, and Tesuque—as well as in Hano, a village on Hopi First Mesa in Arizona. Their story is one of endurance, cultural depth, and spiritual connection to the land.
Sacred Origins and Emergence Myth
According to Tewa oral tradition, the people emerged from the underworld through a sacred place called shipap. Guided by spirits and animal helpers, they ascended into the world we know today. This emergence isn't just a myth—it's a foundational story that binds the Tewa to their land and cosmology. Like other Pueblo groups, the Tewa believe in a universe rooted in balance, transformation, and reverence for the natural world.
Ancient Roots in the Rio Grande Valley
Long before Spanish contact, the Tewa had settled in the upper Rio Grande Valley. Their ancestors likely migrated from the Four Corners region after the fall of great centers like Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde. They developed irrigated farming communities that relied on maize, beans, and squash—sustained by acequias, traditional irrigation canals that still function today.
Tewa society was, and remains, guided by dualism—wet and dry, male and female, north and south. These opposites create harmony rather than conflict, and this philosophy is reflected in the structure of their villages, rituals, and seasonal ceremonies.
Resistance and the Pueblo Revolt
Colonial upheaval began in 1598 when Juan de Oñate established the first Spanish capital at Ohkay Owingeh. The Spanish renamed it San Juan Pueblo, imposed Catholicism, and outlawed traditional spiritual practices.
Despite the repression, the Tewa preserved their identity—and in 1680, they led one of the most successful uprisings in North American history: the Pueblo Revolt. Orchestrated by Popé, a religious leader from Ohkay Owingeh, the revolt united Pueblo groups in driving out Spanish forces for over a decade. This was not only a political act but a spiritual reclaiming of their land and way of life.
Spiritual Beings and Sacred Cycles
In Tewa cosmology, powerful spiritual beings known as kʼo (akin to the Hopi kachinas) inhabit the natural world. These spirits are believed to bring rain, fertility, and renewal. They appear in ceremonial dances wearing carved masks, ensuring the balance between people and nature is maintained.
The spirits of ancestors also remain vital. Through songs, dreams, and ceremonies, the wisdom of generations continues to guide the present. These traditions aren’t mere rituals—they are tools for survival and cultural memory.
A Living Culture
Despite centuries of colonization—Spanish, Mexican, and American—the Tewa have preserved their language, governance, and belief systems. Today, Tewa communities actively balance cultural continuity with modern life. Their ceremonies are still practiced, their languages are still spoken, and their myths continue to shape their understanding of the world.
To the Tewa, history is not something confined to the past. It is a living current, flowing through rivers, dances, stories, and the seasonal cycles of the land. Their myths are not just legends—they are instructions for how to live in harmony with the world and with each other.