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Organization

Taos Pueblo

Not yet reviewed by this nation. What follows comes from public records and research. It does not speak for the nation.

Taos Pueblo's website says Blue Lake was returned in 1970; Public Law 91-550 declared its lands held in trust for the Pueblo.

Kind
Tribal government
Native-led
tribal-government
Works with
Taos (Tiwa)
Region
Taos, NM
Focus
Blue Lake return, 48,000 acres, Dec 15, 1970 (Pub. L. 91-550)
Vetting notes
Tribe's own account and Nixon signing remarks verified. No donation channel assessed.

What happened

Taos Pueblo's website calls it one of the oldest living and continuously inhabited communities in the United States, and says its multi-storied adobe homes are estimated to be over a thousand years old. Its About page describes a government in which the Governor cares for the traditional pueblo village and the War Chief cares for the land. A Tribal Council made up of men who have served as War Chiefs or Governors serves for life.

The page tells the Blue Lake story in the Pueblo's words. It says that in 1906 the lake was taken by Theodore Roosevelt and placed in the National Forest registry, that it is revered as a sacred area, and that its return capped a long history of struggle. Its list of cultural milestones includes "Blue Lake returned to Taos in 1970."

The federal law is Public Law 91-550, enacted in December 1970. Its first section amends an Act of May 31, 1933 and provides that described lands "upon which said Indians depend and have depended since time immemorial for water supply, forage for their domestic livestock, wood and timber for their personal use, and as the scene of certain religious ceremonials" are declared to be held by the United States in trust for the Pueblo de Taos.

The law does not state acreage. A figure of 48,000 acres is also cited. The Pueblo's site is inconsistent on when Taos became a National Historic Landmark (1960 on one page, 1965 on another).

Summarized with AI assistance from 4 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error

What the sources say, and how this was checked

Well supported by the sources below.

  1. In 1906, the lake was taken by Theodore Roosevelt, like many other Native American sacred sites, and placed into the National Forest Lands registry.About Taos Pueblo
  2. Blue Lake returned to Taos in 1970About Taos Pueblo
  3. upon which said Indians depend and have depended since time immemorial for water supply, forage for their domestic livestockPublic Law 91-550, 84 Stat. 1437
  4. War chief cares for the land and ensures cultural practices in relation to the land are maintained and upheld.About Taos Pueblo

Research notes. Acreage (48,000) and the exact December 15, 1970 signing date are in the record but were not confirmed in the statute page read, which is an OCR scan of the first page of the Act. Nixon's signing remarks were not re-opened. The Pueblo's two pages disagree on its National Historic Landmark year. No donation channel was assessed.

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Connections

Links marked “suggested” were matched automatically by name or date and have not yet been reviewed by a person.

Governing body of 1

Works in 1

Supports the return of 1

Sources

  1. taospueblo.com/self-description
The record’s fields
Registry
Sovereign government (no EIN needed); status per Federal Register list not checked this session
Kind
Organization
Confidence
High
Nation review
Not yet reviewed by this nation

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