New Mexico: Pueblo of Laguna

St. Joseph Church in Pueblo of Laguna

Photo courtesy of Rhys Martin

Quick Facts

Significance:

Historic Pueblo along Route 66

Designation:

National Register of Historic Places

The Pueblo of Laguna, the largest of the Keresan pueblos, is 45 miles west of Albuquerque on Route 66. Its prominent landmark, the whitewashed St. Joseph Church, is readily visible from the road. The entire pueblo covers four large counties and includes the six villages of Encinal, Laguna, Mesita, Paguate, Paraje, and Seama. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1973, the district consists of approximately 108 acres including a southeastern section of the pueblo that dates from the 1400s and a larger section established in 1699.

Ancestors of the pueblo’s people have lived in this place since at least 1300, with people inhabiting the general area since at least 3000 BCE. The local language is Keresan, and people who speak the language are Kawaik. Kawaik residents historically lived in a border region between Pueblo people to the north and Mogollon people to the south. Since the Spanish arrived and colonized the area in the 1500s, the village has been referred to as Laguna, which translates to lagoon and derives from a lake, now dry, once located in the pueblo. 

The pueblo you see today was established after the Pueblo Revolt in 1699 by a group of Kawaik people and others from Cienguilla, Santo Domingo, Cochiti, and Zia Pueblos. It expanded rapidly, growing to the north, east, and west. The pueblo’s main village is built into the soft, light-yellow sandstone slope on the west side of the San Jose River. Buildings are of stone and adobe, and the St. Joseph Church, which dates from 1701, dominates the skyline. Agriculture continued to be a way of life, and pueblo visitors often remarked on the quality of their crops. Starting with a Baptist presence in the 1850s and a Presbyterian presence in the 1870s, Protestant Christianity gained strength in the community and resulted in a split and the establishment of Mesita late in the 1800s.

Route 66 bisects the heart of pueblo land. The initial 1926 alignment through this part of new Mexico curved north from Santa Rosa to Santa Fe, and then south to Albuquerque and Los Lunas, returning to an east-west alignment near Laguna. Route 66 through new Mexico was realigned in 1937 to eliminate this dramatic “S-curve” through the state, reducing its mileage from 506 to 399. The new alignment left Santa Fe and Los Lunas behind, but Laguna remained along Route 66. In the 1946 Guide Book to Highway 66, the author Jack Rittenhouse mentions the Laguna Pueblo as the only major pueblo still visible from the highway.

Today, the Pueblo of Laguna remains an active place. Uranium became an important economic engine in the community after its ca.1950 discovery on pueblo land. Tourism and the craft industry it supports, as well as a tribal casino along Interstate 40, are additional sources of revenue. The St. Joseph Church is a popular tourist destination, and local crafts are available from pueblo venders in the village. Feast days are exciting times to visit: March 19 for the Laguna Village Feast, July 26 for the Seama Village Feast, August 15 for the Mesita Village Feast, September 8 for the Encinal Village Feast, September 19 for the year’s second Laguna Village Feast, September 25 for the Paguate Village Feast, and October 17 for the Paraje Village Feast. On September 19, all the villages celebrate the Feast of St. Joseph, which features dances after a Mass at the San José Mission Church and hundreds of booths offering various native arts and crafts to view and purchase.

The Pueblo of Laguna is approximately 45 miles west of Albuquerque, NM, off Interstate 40 along the San Jose River. 

Large festivals open to the public occur annually on September 19 and March 19, and other events, both public and private, occur throughout the year.  Much of the pueblo is private, and photography, drawing, and audio/video taping are not generally allowed, but visitors interested in seeking permission for these activities or to hike or drive in tribal areas should look for more information on the Pueblo of Laguna website and the State of New Mexico Tourism Department website. For other information, visit the Dancing Eagle Casino and Travel Center.

See the Pueblo of Laguna National Register nomination form.