Picuris Pueblo
Named Pikuria - those who paint - by Spanish colonizer Juan de Oñate, Picuris is located 24 miles (38 km) southeast of Taos in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains via N.M. 68, 518, and 75. Picuris, once the largest, today is one of the smallest Tiwa pueblos, with some 1,801 inhabitants (Census 2000). Like Taos, it was influenced by Plains Indian culture, particularly the Apaches.
It took about eight years for tribal members to restore by hand the 200-year-old adobe church, San Lorenzo de Picuris, located in the center of the pueblo. Self-guided tours to excavated structures are available. Camera permits are available. The pueblo's San Lorenzo Feast Day on Aug. 10 includes Indian dances, pole climbing and a morning footrace. The High Country Tri-Cultural Arts & Crafts Fair is usually held on the first weekend in July, but call to verify, (505) 587-2519. The fair features pottery, painting, beadwork, jewelry, weavings and more.
Outdoor enthusiasts can spend the day trout fishing at the Pu-na Lake; call the Picuris Pueblo Fish & Game and Parks & Wildlife, (505) 587-1601. The Picuris Pueblo Museum displays and sells beadwork, weaving and pottery crafted by local artists. Picuris is the majority owner of the Hotel Santa Fe located in the capitol city's historic downtown area.
Picuris Pueblo
P.O. Box 127
Peñasco, NM 87553
Phone: (505) 587-2519
Fax: (505) 587-1071
Email: picuris@laplaza.org