CASE STUDY - THE PUEBLO OF ACOMA - LESSONS IN MAXIMIZING LIHTC AND PRESERVING CULTURE Interviewee - Floyd Tortalita | Executive Director of Pueblo of Acoma Tribally Designated Housing
THE PUEBLO OF ACOMA TDHE BACKGROUND & CONTEXT The Pueblo of Acoma or the “Place That Always Was” when translated from Keres, consists of over 2784 enrolled members deriving from 13 clans and occupies over 431,664 acres of land. In 1970 after several decades of litigation the Pueblo of Acoma won $6,000,000 from the Indian Claims Commissions over land title disputes. Although Pueblo of Acoma didn’t win back their original land, since 1970 the Pueblo of Acoma has been purchasing back surrounding land and to this date has purchased back over 182,627 acres of land in effort to reclaim their original 500,000 acres of tribal land.91 The AMI per household of the Pueblo of Acoma sits around $42,813, and per capita income $13,895 which sits 12.7% above the national poverty line of $12,140.92 The Pueblos of Acoma is considered to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in North America dating back to 1180 BC. According to Floyd Tortalita, housing director of the Pueblo of Acoma TDHE. The original estimated 250 Old Acoma Pueblo dwelling units are maintained but largely unoccupied year-round in the central plaza, which is a frequently visited tourist attraction. (*Old Acoma refers to the original village formerly occupied by the tribe). “Acoma [people] only inhabitant them [traditional pueblos] less than 2 times a year during festivals and ceremonies. Old Acoma Pueblos are without electricity, water, and sewers.The majority of people live about 11 miles north of the pueblos and closer to the river because we need access to the river to maintain our two farming villages. Also, with the expansion of the railroad that runs near the river and the interstate, many moved from the pueblo to be in the valley near the railroads and found employment through railroad construction during the late 1800s.” - Floyd Tortalita (Acoma TDHE)
Tortalita describes traditional pueblo housing similar to that of townhouses of some sort. “Early on main materials used were adobe, then sandstone, and nowadays more modern materials are used like cinder blocks.Traditional pueblos were typically 2-3 stories in height, and accessible through the third floor via ladders that could be lifted up. Historically third floor accessibility was designed that way to prevent raiding from the Navajo and Apache tribes. Acoma pueblos were multi-generational, and the house was divided accordingly to the level.The bottom level was used for storage since it maintained the most consistent temperature year-round.The second floor and above were used for bedrooms, and the third floor were used as living rooms, play space for children and main entrances to the pueblos. When Pueblo people came down to the 91 92
Ibid. Tiller, E. Veronica. (1994) Ibid. U.S. Census Information for Native Americans. (2020)
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