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That old rugged cross
I'd heard the song and seen them in movies, but my reality was headstones. So it was a reality check to see how different a cemetery filled with weathered wooden crosses was, many in piles as they deteriorated and fell down. These are from Taos Pueblo and Santo Campo del Pueblo right outside the Indian pueblo. The graves are Indian, although they have their "Christian" names on them, since this sort of burial was mandated by Christian tradition rather than their native Indian. And the names are Spanish since that was the heritage of the missionaries whose culture was blend with their own native culture.
In Taos Pueblo one is continually struck with the delicate balance of their native traditions and those imposed on them by the Spaniards and Catholics., not to mention what contemporary culture has done. Many of the Indians live outside of the Pueblo because of its no electricity, no running water policy which is to preserve it in it's rather beautiful state as much as possible.
The newer church at Taos Pueblo. The old church can be seen in the middle of the cemetery in two of the photos above: one with the crosses piled by it and the other of the campanile.
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