THE PUEBLO OF ACOMA is the oldest of the 19 pueblos of New Mexico, located approximately 50 miles west of Albuquerque. Like any other pueblo, Acoma is keeping up with modern times. However, if you head 30 miles South, you will find yourself in a whole different world—in the middle of a vast panoramic valley of beautiful sandstone rock formations and mesas that touch the clouds.

Atop one of these monolithic mesas sits the oldest continually inhabited village in North America. Archeologists estimate that it was established in around 1150 A.D. Known as Sky City, or in Keresan; “Haa’ku,” the name translates in English as ‘a place prepared’. To the Northeast, you will find another ancestral homeland of Haa’ku, known as “Ka’dziima,” or in English, Enchanted Mesa. Atop Haa’ku, you will feel as if you were in another place, as if being on an island in the sky. You will see old homes, some three stories high and some older than the United States itself. All of the houses are traditional Pueblo homes, and most of them made from the same materials used by ancestors in the past: sandstone rocks, mud, straw, and beams made from ponderosa pine. To this day, Acoma Pueblo is still keeping up with their roots. There is no running water, electricity, or indoor plumbing in any of the homes. Traditions and ceremonies on Haa’ku are still on-going and remain strong. Sacred leaders and their families remain on the mesa year-round, sacrificing and praying for their land, people, and animals as well as the people around the world.

But much has changed. Although Acoma and its people do their best to retain their language and culture for future generations, the current generation is leaning away from traditional ways and gaining more interest in modern technologies and American life. It’s sad that in the communities nowadays you see less children playing outside compared to past generations, who would enjoy spending their every last sunlight hour playing around the beautiful landscapes of Acoma. When children applied for the Hiking Club program, their parents were asked: “What would your child be doing for the summer, if there were no Hiking Club?” Many of the responses we heard were, “At home watching TV, playing video games, or on their phones.” Another response was, “There is nothing for them to do at home.”

This loss makes the service that Acoma Hiking Club provides for the youth of its Pueblo even more necessary.

This is the 8th consecutive year that Conservation Legacy’s Ancestral Lands program has operated the Hiking Club for the children of Acoma Pueblo. This year, the Club consisted of three groups of ten kids, ages eight to fifteen. They were supervised by two Hiking Club leaders four days out of the week, for two and a half weeks. Each day featured a hike in a new place. At the end of each term, the kids were rewarded with an overnight camping trip to someplace far away from home.

The children hiked an average of 20 to 30 miles a week, and were encouraged to drink plenty of water since most of the hiking destinations didn’t have much shade. Lunch and snacks were provided, as well as a Camelbak water bag, which was given to them as an incentive: they could keep it as long as they completed at least 70% of the program. An Ancestral Lands Hiking Club t-shirt was also provided, so the kids could show their support of the program.

It is well known that Acoma’s ancestors occupied the popular areas we know today as Mesa Verde, Bandelier, Chaco Canyon, and El Morro National Monuments. Because of this, Acoma Pueblo has strong spiritual and historical ties to these places. While visiting these sites, children got the chance to experience the places behind the stories that their elders mentioned in their historical teachings. It was an incredible feeling to see their emotions, especially when they explored places they had never seen before. It was a good feeling of knowing that we had done our job.

The Hiking Club gets better every year and gains its popularity from the children, especially when they share their experiences with friends and relatives. Many of Acoma’s youth are becoming disconnected from the joy of being outdoors, but this program helps to turn that around. The Hiking Club youth found plenty to do and were entertained once they were shown the beauty and natural wonders around them. They also found an understanding of the sacredness of their homeland, and the importance of preserving what Mother Nature provides so that it can be passed on to future generations to come.

—Written by Veron Howeya, Acoma Hiking Club Crew Leader 

Click here to learn more about our Ancestral Lands program and the Hiking Club.