Pueblo of Pojoaque, Poeh Cultural Center

Pueblo of Pojoaque, Poeh Cultural Center

Santa Fe, New Mexico

The First Americans’ Cultural Treasures project is built on the recognition of the cultural assets of Native communities that connect the past to the present and the future, and ultimately preserve Native knowledge systems, identities, and lifeways. The project is made possible through the Ford Foundation America’s Cultural Treasures Regional Challenge Initiative, in a funding partnership with Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

Pueblo of Pojoaque, Poeh Cultural Center

Cultural Treasures Initiative

 

About Poeh Cultural Center

The Poeh Cultural Center, in the Pueblo of Pojoaque, is an arts and culture hub that provides a “pathway for Tewa Pueblo traditions.” The center supports Tewa artists through weekly and seasonal arts shows, markets, and exhibits; and provides a gathering place for Pueblo communities and visitors to learn more about Tewa culture and traditions through its onsite museum, galleries and archives, guided tours, community events, and free traditional arts classes in basketry, embroidery, jewelry, pottery, and drum-making, to name a few popular options. The cultural center has become known for its annual Pathways Indigenous Arts Festival ― the fastest-growing Native arts market in Santa Fe “organized by Indigenous people, for Indigenous people, and on Indigenous land” at the Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino.

How First Nations Will Help

Funding from First Nations will support the planning and marketing of Poeh Cultural Center’s primary programs ― the Pathways Indigenous Arts Festival and the Poeh Winter Market ― both which support Native American artists and entrepreneurs.

COMMUNITY PARTNER Q&A

We consider our cultural treasures the physical manifestations of who we are, such as our art collections, pottery, and archives, which contain a lot of digital assets, including newspapers and photos. When people in our community see these photos, it triggers an astounding number of stories about our culture that are shared by tribal members. Also, cultural treasures are the people who we highly value and respect who maintain our traditional knowledge, like our elders who share the spoken word on storytelling night; and our art instructors and students, who share and pass on cultural knowledge to one another.

We impact the preservation of knowledge systems in many ways, especially through our collections and exhibits. Currently, we are in a long-term relationship with the National Museum of the American Indian for our major exhibit called the “Di Wae Powa,” which means “They came back.” It is a display of 100 ancestral pots of Tewa origin that have been returned to us, reunited with the descendants of the Tewa creators. Our permanent exhibition, “Nah Poeh Meng,” portrays Pueblo history from within the Pueblo worldview ― offering visitors a chance to experience Pueblo stories through art, word, and history. Our biggest seasonal draw is our free traditional arts classes, which are the foundation of everything we do. We offer classes in basketweaving, traditional attire, drum-making, jewelry, pottery, and embroidery, to name a few. Finally, we support Native artists and entrepreneurs through two popular, primary events: the Pathways Indigenous Arts Festival and the Poeh Winter Market.

Learn more about the Poeh Cultural Center