The Tiguas: Puebloan People of New Mexico and Texas

The Tiguas (Tiwa) are a Puebloan people who historically inhabited the Rio Grande valley in what is now New Mexico and West Texas. They are one of several Tiwa-speaking groups, with close relatives at Isleta, Sandia, and Picuris Pueblos in New Mexico.

Traditional Life:

• Architecture: Built multi-story adobe apartment complexes (pueblos) with shared walls and roof-access entryways.
• Agriculture: Skilled farmers cultivating the "Three Sisters"—corn, beans, and squash—using irrigation from the Rio Grande.
• Hunting: Supplemented diet with deer, antelope, and bison from surrounding plains.

Modern Status: The Ysleta del Sur Pueblo (Tigua Pueblo) in El Paso, Texas, is a federally recognized tribe, maintaining cultural traditions, a tribal government, and the Speaking Rock Entertainment Center. Their New Mexico relatives at Isleta and Sandia Pueblos also preserve Tiwa heritage.