Woods Canyon Pueblo
Life on the Edge
Peter
Pino
Peter
Pino is from Zia Pueblo, which is near Albuquerque, New Mexico.
He has bachelor's degrees in electronics and industrial education
and a master's degree in business administration. Peter has worked
for the tribe since 1973 and is currently the tribal administrator
for the Pueblo of Zia. He is also a traditional craftsman who tans deer hides and makes moccasins, bows and arrows, digging
sticks, rabbit sticks, and bone tools using the same techniques
employed by his Pueblo ancestors. In the following passage, Peter
shares the Pueblo view of the natural world. |
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"It is important
not to get lost in the forest of modern technology. I have a formal
education that allows me to work in the modern world, but I stay
connected with the Indian world by the things I make today using
the knowledge that my forefathers handed down generation after generation.
When I make the same things they made, I show the ancestors that
the connection to the past is still important and that their knowledge
and skill aren't forgotten.
"I
have respect for all the things that have been put here by nature.
In keeping with the ways of our ancestors, I always request permission
from nature before I take anything from it, and I offer a prayer
and gift in exchange. I don't take for the sake of taking. I take
out of necessity for myself, my family, or the pueblo.
"After people
have been in a place like Woods Canyon for a time, they can figure
out what natural resources the area can provide. Once they learn
what nature has to offer, then they can start to work on making
natural tools. I always thought that modern tools would function
better, but when I go back to using ancient technology, the tools
I make often work better than the modern ones. It is an honor to
understand and carry on the art of ancient technology." |
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