The Story of Pueblo Agriculture The Resilience Garden at The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Bettina Sandoval Cultural Education Specialist
The 19 Pueblos of New Mexico have been agricultural societies for thousands of years. Along with agriculture we also forage and hunt various animals such as deer, elk, and buffalo. Some early permanent settlements that practiced agriculture were places like Mesa Verde, Bandelier, and Chaco Canyon. These settlements were supported mainly by the three sisters (corn, beans, and squash).
Farming Techniques Farming has long been an Indigenous tradition. The techniques that developed varied but always depended on the landscape. Some of the first farming techniques were dry farming and flooding. Dry Farming is only successful in certain areas where water is stored in the soil and crops do not need to be watered. Flooding fields were at the base of hills, mesas, and canyons and designed to catch water runoff after a big storm.
Gathering Since Time Immemorial Our landscape was and still is full of resources. There are various plants that grow wild as well as animals that are harvested and used for cultural activities. The first area of our Resilience garden tells this story. We have chokecherry trees, golden currants, wild plum trees, mint, cotton, and various berries which were introduced. All communities have their own plants that are used but it is not seen as appropriate to cultivate sacred herbs. Drying Peaches The Spanish brought many plants and animals that have been incorporated into our surroundings. So fruit trees like Peaches, Apples, and Apricots were picked and dried.
Conserving Water with Waffle Garden Not all Pueblos had a permanent water source. So another rainfall dependent method was developed in Zuni Pueblo, and it is called a waffle garden. Each indent is filled when it rains or can be filled by hand. Usually bush squash or melons are planted in waffle gardens, but some plant corn or other vegetables. Zuni Pueblo
Permanent Water Sources Pueblos established permanent homes and communities near permanent water sources, this allowed them to create extensive irrigation systems throughout their farming community. This system of ditches and canals is still used today as the primary source of irrigation for the community.
Resisting & Adapting: The Heart of Resilience Modern techniques such as raised beds have also had an impact on Pueblo Agriculture. Many Pueblo farmers have ancient seed and use our thousand year old irrigation ditches, but still incorporate modern ideas, like raised beds, to grown other vegetables and greens that our ancestors did not grow.
Pueblo people have been farming for thousands of years. Ancient knowledge has been passed down along with cultural traditions and seed, for the Pueblos farming is an integrated and very important cultural practice. The Resilience Garden at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is an educational space for us to tell our story about agriculture which is a huge part of what makes us who we are. Our resiliency in all aspects of our existence is seen by the language, the traditions and the culture that we still pass down to this day. So even though we have had various influences and direct attempts to get rid of us, we still remain today with our language, our culture, our traditions, and our agricultural practices. This is why we named this area The Resilience Garden.
In 2015 and 2016 we received the Native Seeds/Search Grant which is where we got most of our Native seed varieties. Our small seed bank has various varieties of chiles, and a few different types of squash, corn, and beans. We also grow modern varieties of herbs, veggies, and greens such as mint, dill, peas, tomatoes, tomatillos, chard and a lettuce mix.
Educational Programming in the Resilience Garden The Indian Pueblo Cultural Centers Seasons of Growth Garden Series was started in 2017, and took place once a month from March October. Each month there was a different topic that was presented about and discussed in combination with a hands on experience. Each topic also related to what the needs of the Resilience Garden were. Caring for Trees & Shrubs Planting seedlings The Story of Corn Part I & II