Taos Pueblo

Possibly the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the United States, although there must be some interesting debates about the history of the other pueblo villages in the southwest. But regardless, a village long before Europeans ever arrived in North America. A village that was standing much as it does today when the great cathedrals of Europe were built. A village that had been around more than half a millennium before the United States were even imagined.

As in other aboriginal cultures, but particularly in the southwest tribes, the Pueblo reflects a complex and fascinating blend of native and Christian spiritual traditions (Gran Quivara: 2014). And here, where water and electricity have not been added, a messy mix of ancient and modern lifestyles. It sounds like many of the pueblo's residents may live offsite, reserving their pueblo space for ceremonial and cultural uses.

I find it difficult to balance my fascination with these cultures with my consciousness of being a gawker or of sneaking glimpses into someone else's life. Maybe this is an inevitable, and perhaps not inappropriate, consequence of cultural tourism anywhere, but it still seems a little strange (as it probably should).