Some of the states in the southwest have a particularly rich history of Native American culture.
- The continent was first inhabited by ancestors of Native Americans around 15,000 years ago before the Beringia land bridge between north Siberia and present-day Alaska was covered by sea water.
The resulting civilizations on this continent have been changing and developing for thousands of years before European settlers ever reached these lands by boat. I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico and we have a particularly rich history of Native American culture in our city. There are 23 different Native American tribes in our city, which includes 19 Pueblos, three Apache tribes, and the Navajo Nation. The population of Native Americans in our city is almost 5%, much higher than other cities around the country. Old Town Albuquerque is dominated by Native American shops and monuments, along with educational centers like the Albuquerque Museum and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. When my friends from college wanted to visit the city after we all graduated, I showed them the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center and the Acoma Pueblo. If you want to see the beautiful stone houses of the Taos Pueblo, you first have to take Interstate 25 out of Albuquerque and head north to Santa Fe. The Isleta Pueblo by contrast is only a few minutes out of Albuquerque if you drive down Interstate 25 going south instead of north. No matter what tribe or Pueblo you’re interested in seeing or learning about, Albuquerque is particularly rich in Native American culture. I’m happy to finally be back in my hometown now that I’m finished with college.