Mutalismo: A Community Based Approach Preservation of the Pueblo de Abiquiu

Authors

James M. Aranda
Moises Gonzales
Jose Rivera

Files

Description

The Merced del Pueblo de Abiquiu is one of New Mexico’s historic genizaro land grant settlements. “Genizaro was the designation given to North American Indians of mixed tribal derivation living among the Hispanic population” (Gonzales 2014). The “historical connection to the Hopi Genizaro Pueblo Indians of Tewa descent” (Gonzales 2014) is what gives Abiquiu its Pueblo designation. The original settlers were Tewa peoples who settled the area during the early 1600s, followed by the Hopi who left Arizona and settled in the Merced del Pueblo de Abiquiu. “From the 1740s to the 1790s, towns such as Abiquiu were established as genizaro buffer settlement” (Gonzales 2014). In 1909 the community received a Federal Patent for 16,425 acres of land. However, a tax default in the 1930s put the grant in jeopardy. Members of the community organized to pay the tax. The members who were able to contribute to the taxes subsequently reorganized and became members of the Abiquiu Land Grant Livestock Association. In 2005, the Livestock Association reestablished as a land grant under state statutes and the modern incarnation of the Merced del Pueblo de Abiquiu was created. Today, only heirs of the original members of the Livestock Association are recognized as members of the Merced del Pueblo de Abiquiu Land Grant. The objective of the Community and Regional Planning Program’s 2015 Summer Studio was to provide the Merced del Pueblo de Abiquiu with a plan for economic development and preservation` of the Abiquiu Plaza. The students of the studio examined the history, land use and cultural organization of the Merced del Pueblo de Abiquiu. Over the course of two months students met with Merced del Pueblo de Abiquiu residents on multiple occasions with the goal of engaging the community to share their perspectives on various topics and solutions for issues within the Pueblo. This paper presents the students’ analysis and recommendations for the community. These recommendations address a number of issues raised by the community during the meetings as well as supplement the recommendations of the Merced del Pueblo de Abiquiu comprehensive plan. The focus of these recommendations is to strengthen community capacity in the Merced del Pueblo de Abiquiu ensuring that community goals of economic development and preservation of the Abiquiu Plaza are accomplished.

Publication Date

Summer 2015

Disciplines

Urban, Community and Regional Planning

Comments

Students and Research Assistants: Alex Ochoa, Alicia Chavez, Jordan James, Mia Hignojos, Michael Wright, Veronica Chavez, William Donahoo

Community Liasons: David Lopez, Delvin Garcia, Floyd Trujillo, Isabel Trujillo, Janelle Jordan, Lydia Jordan, Patricio Garcia, Tomas Barela, Victoria Garcia, Virgil Trujillo, William Jordan

Recommended Citation

Aranda, James M.; Moises Gonzales; and Jose Rivera. "Mutalismo: A Community Based Approach Preservation of the Pueblo de Abiquiu." (2015). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/rcrp_projects/2