The Kewa people, and other Southwest Pueblo peoples, are descendants of an over two-thousand-year tradition of turquoise and shell jewelry making. Turquoise has long been a cherished material for these Southwest Native Americans. The Cerrillos turquoise mine in New Mexico, located just 30 miles north of the Santo Domingo Pueblo, supplied much of the turquoise for these Pueblo peoples in the pre-Spanish era.
While turquoise was a nearby resource, the shells in their traditional jewelry came from farther away, by trading with the Hohokam peoples on the Gila River who gathered shells from the Gulf of California or made expeditions to the Pacific Ocean for certain shells, like abalone. Since the time of these ancient trade routes, the Pueblo peoples have utilized shell as a base for setting turquoise and mosaic designs.
Even their people's creation story coincides with the origin of their jewelry making. According to this story, long ago three groups of people came to be in a place called Shipap, north of the current Santo Domingo home. The three groups eventually decided to go separate ways, but they decided to help each other out by each group providing a particular labor.
The Kewa people had the responsibility to supply everyone with beads, earrings, and other forms of jewelry. Thus, jewelry has always been a part of the Kewa way. After the Kewa resisted the Spanish colonization for several years, the first mission church was established at the pueblo by the late 16th century.
Dominic, the patron saint of the Santo Domingo pueblo. On August 4, the people dress in ceremonial attire to chant, drum, and dance the colorful Green Corn Dance in front of the old adobe pueblo.
