Here is the Tortugas Mountain in southern New Mexico, endpoint of a three-day religious festival among the American Indians of the region held from December 10-12 each year.
The festival celebrates the Virgin Mary, but also the culture of the peoples from this area who trace some of their heritage to a mission called Señora de Guadalupe. In this region, tribes from the Pueblo peoples developed diverse histories after the Spanish conquest — their relationship with the American Indians (like the Apache) and Europeans (both Spanish and Anglo) was sometimes hostile, sometimes accommodating.
The Piro Indians were among these Pueblo. They converted to Catholicism and did not revolt against the Spanish in the Pueblo uprising of 1680, but nevertheless maintained their own indigenous traditions. Making the four-mile pilgrimage from the village of Tortugas up this mountain and performing traditional dances are two such examples.
Although the Piro language is extinct today, their Tribe — the Piro/Manso/Tiwa Indian Tribe of the Pueblo of San Juan de Guadalupe in Las Cruces, New Mexico — is aiming to be recognized by the U.S. Federal government.
Source(s): @legendsofamerica.com/piro-tribe-of-new-mexico-texas, “Piro Tribe of New Mexico & Texas”. Wikipedia.
