Santa Clara

Santa Clara Pueblo (Tewa: Khaˀpʼoe Ówîngeh, “Singing Water Village” or “Village of Wild Roses”) is a federally recognized Tewa Pueblo community in north‑central New Mexico, known for its rich cultural heritage, traditional governance, and distinctive pottery.

The Pueblo’s reservation spans about 90 square miles of tribal land, extending from the eastern Jemez Mountains to the Rio Grande floodplains. The main community lies about 1.5 miles south of Española, NM, along NM 30
Descended from the Ancestral Pueblo peoples, Santa Clara’s ancestors lived in the region for millennia, with first documented contact in 1540 during the Coronado Expedition. The current reservation was established in 1905 by U.S. Executive Order. The people maintain strong ties to their ancestral village of Puye, about 10 miles away, and offer guided tours of the Puye Cliff Dwellings, a National Historic Landmark.

Cultural values include respect for sacred sites, oral history, the Tewa language, traditional knowledge, and natural resources. The community is known for blackware and redware pottery with deep engravings