Native American Winter Dances
January 23 is a day of renewal for the Tewa Pueblo of San Ildefonso. The trip explores this complex ceremony with sensitivity. There is also the chance to visit Santa Fe in the quiet of winter, enjoy the restaurants and shopping. This trip is a rare opportunity to be close to the change from winter life to summer life in the important calendric cycle of Pueblo Indian life.
Day 1
Individual arrivals to the Inn on the Alameda.
Reception and slide/lecture by study leader at the hotel.
Dinner at The Shed. The Shed is noted for its authentic Northern New Mexican cuisine and a favorite eating place for locals.
Back to the Inn for overnight.
Day 2
Breakfast at the Inn.
Lecture by a representative of San Ildefonso Pueblo.
Depart for docent led tour at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.
Docent led tour at the Wheelwrigth Museum of the American Indian.
Lunch will be at Amaya, located in the Hotel Santa Fe, which is partially owned and operated by the Pueblo of Picuris.
Return to Inn for free afternoon and dinner on your own.
Meet with the study leader again to go over what to expect for the evening experience at the Pueblo.
Depart for San Ildefanso Pueblo night Animal Dance. This is a magical evening with many different dances set around large bonfires.
Return to the Inn.
Day 3
Early: Depart for San Ildefonso Feast Day, and the dawn entry of the animals into the dance plaza. There will be a Continental Breakfast on the bus. There will be a break between the entry and the animal dances, during which we will drive to the nearby Roadrunner Restaurant for a bit of local color and a full breakfast and an opportunity to thaw out!
After breakfast, we will return to the Pueblo for the Animal (buffalo, deer, ram, and antelope and Comanche dances.)
Gather and depart for lunch at Gabriel's, a restaurant known for it's guacamole and local favorite chile-based dishes.
Return to Santa Fe. Free afternoon.
Dinner at Julian's, noted for it's reworking of traditional Italian recipes and relaxed atmosphere.
Back at the Inn.
Day 4
Breakfast at the Inn.
Depart for the Jemez Pueblo.
There will be a tour of the pueblo followed by a traditional feast day meal in a private home.
Back in Santa Fe. Free Afternoon.
Dinner at the historic Barrio home of Ellen Bradbury. Return to hotel by 9 pm.
Day 5
Breakfast at the Inn.
Morning lecture about the Nine Northern Pueblos.
There will be a morning tour at the School of American Research, an anthropological think-tank. SAR draws upon its century-deep roots in the American Southwest, anthropology, and indigenous arts to present programs, publications and initiatives that impart the learning of social scientists, humanists, and artists to inform the thoughts and actions of scholars, artists, educators, and the interested public.
Lunch will be on your own.
Gather again in the lobby for departure to the Picuris Pueblo. We will drive up the high road and stop at centuries old villages of Chimayo and Trampas. The study leader will discuss the history of these areas.
Early dinner at Rancho de Chimayo, a restaurant with a colorful background and reputation for locals.
Evening Marachines dance among the bonfires in front of the pueblo church at Picuris.
Return to Santa Fe.
Day Six
Breakfast at the Inn; Individual departures.
Itineraries are samples and may change according to availability of the speaker and locations. All itineraries may be customized and modified to suit circumstances.