The members of the Picuris Pueblo tribe in New Mexico have long been aware that they are descended from the ancient residents of Chaco Canyon. They now possess evidence confirming this lineage.
In collaboration with scientists, tribal leaders have identified a genetic connection between their community and the Chacoan people, who thrived from 850 to 1150 CE. These discoveries were recently detailed in a scientific publication within the journal
Nature
, the tribe hopes to have more influence over the future of Chaco Canyon and the surrounding region.
“We navigated this vessel with the hope that adopting technology in the Western manner—they would finally pay attention,” stated Craig Quanchello, the tribe’s lieutenant governor, during a press briefing, according to the report.
Reuters
Will Dunham said, “We’ve always understood who we are. Our elders have always known we’ve been here, and now it turns out that all our feelings and knowledge have been confirmed.”
In this research, scientists analyzed the DNA of 13 contemporary tribal members. This data was then contrasted with genetic information from 16 Picuris Pueblo people who resided there around 500 to 700 years back, along with both historical and current DNA samples from various other Native communities and specimens discovered at Chaco Canyon.
The findings indicated a genetic connection among the current Picuris Pueblo population, their predecessors, and those who lived in Chaco Canyon.
“As reported by the source, Quanchello stated, ‘We have it on their terms, using scientific discussion,’”
Washington Post
“It flows through our land, through our veins, and now even permeates science,” said Carolyn Johnson.
The Picuris Pueblo is a federally acknowledged Native American tribe consisting of around 300 members, situated in northern New Mexico. Their traditional stories, historical items, and cultural customs connect them to Chaco Canyon, an important center for the ancient Pueblo peoples. This archeological site lies approximately 170 miles west of the Picuris Pueblo.
UNESCO World Heritage site
and
national historical park
.
Nevertheless, as government authorities deliberated over the future of oil and gas extraction in Chaco Canyon, members of the Picuris Pueblo experienced feelings of being “neglected and disregarded,” according to Quanchello, citing information from Reuters. The community questioned whether presenting scientific evidence of their historical ties to Chaco Canyon might grant them greater influence in conversations regarding the area’s management.
Chiefs contacted scholars seeking assistance. In the past, certain studies involving Indigenous populations have proceeded without adequate permission and minimal participation from community members. As an illustration, in a study published in 2017, experts analyzed genetic material extracted from relics discovered at Chaco Canyon without engaging with local Native American organizations connected to the location.
However, the latest research was overseen by tribal leaders who had the autonomy to halt the project whenever they wished. Additionally, they determined whether the findings should be released publicly. These leaders also approved the utilization of genetic information derived from the contentious 2017 publication.
“We were quite conflicted about utilizing this data due to awareness of its contentious nature,” said the co-author.
Mike Adler
, an anthropologist at Southern Methodist University, said at the news conference, as reported by
Live Science
Margaret Osborne said, “When we presented this issue to the tribal council, their answer was straightforward: ‘It’s not your decision; it’s ours. You should utilize this information as it provides us with a pathway to enhance our comprehension of our history.'”
Experts say the partnership could serve as a model for research related to Indigenous communities moving forward. There’s still room for improvement: For example, the tribal members could have participated directly in data collection, as
Deborah Bolnick
, an anthropological geneticist at the University of Connecticut who wasn’t involved in the research, tells the
Washington Post.
However, the research represents “a significant move in the correct direction,”
Katrina Claw
, a Navajo geneticist from the University of Colorado Anschutz who was not part of the study, shares her insights
Nature News
’ Ewen Callaway.
The discoveries do not indicate that the Picuris Pueblo is the sole tribe linked genetically to Chaco Canyon. Other communities also share ancestral ties to the location, and this recent study does not contradict that fact. “We were representing ourselves, not anyone else,” says Quanchello.
Science
’s Maya Wei-Haas.
Nevertheless, this might assist in providing additional insights into the historical background of Chaco Canyon. Around 850 C.E., the Chacoan people constructed and occupied over 200 “great houses”—large buildings composed of stone and wood featuring numerous chambers—in present-day western New Mexico. However, by 1150 C.E., these communities started to be abandoned.
Scholars have extensively discussed the reasons for their departure, along with their destination and ultimate fate. These people might have “scaled down and relocated to areas where they could create more compact social circles” characterized by decentralized governance and flexible class structures, according to experts.
David Hurst Thomas
, an archaeologist affiliated with the American Museum of Natural History who was not part of the research team, to
Science News
’ Bruce Bower.
The latest research indicates that part of the Chacoan people—the forebears of today’s Picuris—stayed in the area and have sustained their community up until modern times.
It’s really crucial that we avoid categorizing Chaco alongside ‘vanished cultures’ such as the Egyptian pyramids or Stonehenge,
Paul Reed
, an archaeologist with Archaeology Southwest who wasn’t involved with the study, tells the
Associated Press
’ Christina Larson. “[That narrative] is particularly damaging in this instance because it disenfranchises the Pueblo people who live all around the canyon to this day.”
