The Pueblo peoples, living in the desert regions of what is now the Southwest United States and Northwest Mexico, get their name from the towns they constructed out of adobe and rock. Their music was often connected with work such as grinding corn. Corn in general was a major part of Pueblo life, and is referenced multiple times in their songs. [1] The music of these people also had a spiritual aspect to them, as they were said to bring about prosperity: “Pueblo songs are said to possess the power to lure needed game animals to the hunters who provide food, and they also have the power to regulate the agricultural cycle.” [2] To the Native people of the American deserts, song had a kind of spiritual power that could improve their lives and livelihoods.
The Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park, CO was built by the Pueblo.
Additionally, the Pueblo placed a stricter commitment to accuracy in the performance of songs. The Garland Encyclopedia reads, “in singing both […] the Pueblo men strive for perfect unison and faithful reproduction of songs from performance to performance.” [2] This would help preserve the original intent of the songs, which was seen as important to the Pueblo musical tradition. That said, this doesn’t mean there wasn’t new music being written: “Among Pueblo singers, being able to compose new songs is often as important as being able to remember old ones” [2] This shows that the Pueblo still valued creativity in their music making, even if they frowned on improvisation in performance. Interestingly, though the performances aimed for accuracy, the poetic lyrics were often so symbolic that many Pueblo could interpret them differently. As Natalie Curtis writes in her collection of Pueblo songs, “in the first song the colors mentioned were said by one Indian to allude to the different colored corn […] But an old and authoritative Indian asserted positively that this song had nothing to do with corn.” [1] Even in a culture that strove for accuracy in recreating its musical arts, there never could be just one interpretation of the music.
[1] Curtis, Ancient America, p. iv
[2] “Overview.” Garland Encyclopedia, p. 370
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