Woods Canyon Pueblo

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.

"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."