A Thousand Years of History Online

ACOMA PUEBLO, NM–(April 10, 2008) – Recovering from a disastrous fire in 2000, the new Sky City Cultural Center and Haak’u Museum at Acoma Pueblo are now open for tourist visits and online at www.AcomaSkyCity.org. Ranked by USA Today as “the #1 place to honor American Indian life,” Sky City is known worldwide for its fine Native American pottery and as a living example of the rich cultural history of the Pueblo Indians.The oldest continuously inhabited community in North America, Sky City offers a 75-minute guided walking tour atop the sheer-walled, 376-foot sandstone bluff that’s been home to the Acoma people for nearly 1,000 years. Visitors flock here to view traditional architecture and San Esteban del Rey Mission, one of the oldest Catholic missions in the country. The Mission and the Pueblo are registered National Historic Landmarks.

Visitors can purchase handcrafted Native American jewelry, pottery, and more at the Cultural Center’s Gaits’i Gallery or on the mesa. During their visit, they can enjoy traditional Acoma foods and contemporary cuisine at the Yaak’a Cafe.

Haak’u Museum currently showcases two exhibits: “The Matriarchs” features four master potters and their families who were influential in reviving Acoma pottery for self-sustenance and economic development. “Pueblo Places and Faces” explores Lee Marmon’s photographic career capturing images of the Pueblo Indians. A video theater runs a continuous interpretive program about Sky City, while the auditorium hosts performances and conferences.

Additional information about Sky City, tours, the Cultural Center, and the Museum is available at www.AcomaSkyCity.org.

“This project reflects the Acoma people’s desire to preserve its rich history,” says Brian Vallo, former Cultural Center Director and Acoma Tribal Member. The 40,000 square foot facility houses the first ever tribal archives. Vallo explains that the new library, with the latest in research technologies and digital storage, will capture rare historical information gathered from many sources worldwide.

Equipped with the latest in preservation techniques, the Museum will allow the Pueblo to repatriate ancestral remains and artifacts, according to the Pueblo’s former First Lieutenant Governor, Greg Shutiva. The facility will deepen the Acoma people’s understanding of their own history, he suggests, even as they protect it for future generations.

One of New Mexico’s premier tourism experiences, Sky City is located only 45 minutes west of Albuquerque, NM, and just minutes from Sky City Casino and Hotel.

Randy Howarth:
505-552-7875
rhowarth@skycity.com

Press:
505-552-1065
probertson@skycity.com