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I am a student at SMU.

Southern Methodist University
I am a student at SMU.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Nancy Wood's Importance
Author and poet, Nancy Wood, a known ethnographer of the Taos Pueblo tribe, was greatly influenced by her time spent at Taos Pueblo, and she incorporates her experiences into much of her work. Much of what is known about the Taos Pueblo's culture comes directly from her research. Nancy Wood chronicles her visits to the tribe in her book titled Taos Pueblo.

Traditions Involving the Land
Since Spanish colonization, the native Taos People have resisted cultural change and influence with European ideas. Many ethnographers observe a high level of "interconnectedness. and mutual dependence" between the Taos Pueblo and their surrounding land, where they derive many of their cultural traditions. Consequently, a hitorical rivalry exits between the people on the south side of the river (summer people) and the north side (winter people). Foot races, which have significant religious meaning in the tribe, are a common way for these two group to express their rivalry, and the is a long held tradition ion their tribe that was possibly created before the pyramids. In addition, the Taos Pueblo attribute great value to Blue Lake in regards to their 'living culture and agricultural sustainability."

Death Traditions
According to Wood, the Taos Pueblo people never turn strangers away from their doors because they value both courtesy and hospitality. However, on All Souls' Day, the pueblo spend a day with their families and close their village to any non-Indian. The Taos Pueblo approach death with an air of "stoicism," and they are only allowed to visit cemeteries on All Souls' Day or the day of someone's burial.

Gender
In the cultural fabric of the Taos Pueblo, the ethnographic data suggests that women are considered to be subordinate to men. The Pueblo social structure is dictated by kiva memberships, and women are not allowed to take part in the rituals held in these sacred spaces because they "are not trained" to do so. Despite the exclusion of women from some spiritual activities, the women in the Taos Pueblo society "exercised a considerable degree of influence economically, politically, and interpersonally." For example, single women can run their own households, and married women control their own finances because they traditionally work as cooks or maids. Additionally, women have informal decision making power, using their abilities to influence the men around them.