CELEBRATE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE IN NEW MEXICO

From northwest to southeast and just about everywhere in between, New Mexico’s Native presence is palpable.

It’s a presence that dates back more than two millennia, when early ancestral tribes lived as hunter-gatherers throughout the Southwest. More than 1,000 years ago, some of these groups joined together to establish permanent settlements, commonly known as pueblos. It’s a way of life that continues to this very day among New Mexico’s 23 pueblos, tribes, and nations.

Bandelier National Monument

Bandelier National Monument protects over 33,000 acres of rugged but beautiful canyon and mesa country as well as evidence of a human presence here going back over 11,000 years. The Ancestral Pueblo people lived here from approximately 1150 CE to 1550 CE. They built homes carved from the volcanic tuff and planted crops in mesa top fields. Corn, beans, and squash were central to their diet, supplemented by native plants and meat from deer, rabbit, and squirrel. Domesticated turkeys were used for both their feathers and meat while dogs assisted in hunting and provided companionship.

For thousands of years, groups of nomadic people used the caves of the Gila River as temporary shelter. In the late 1200’s, people of the Mogollon Culture decided it would be a good place to call home. They built rooms, crafted pottery and raised children in the cliff dwellings for about twenty years. Then the Mogollon moved on, leaving the walls for us as a glimpse into the past.

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument (Silver City)

Native Cultures Feast & Float with Los River Runners (Taos)

Float a tranquil section of the Rio Grande with two guides: one to row the raft, and a Native American interpretive guide who shares Pueblo history and lore with you. The stories of the Native guides, and their unique view of the land they live in, provide an intimate glimpse of a very special and ancient culture.

After floating for about an hour and a half, you disembark to find a delicious traditional feast meal awaiting you, prepared and served by a Pueblo Indian family. This special meal includes red chile stew, blue corn posole, calabacitas, oven bread or fry bread, Indian pie, and Indian tea.

Chaco Culture National Historic Park

Today the massive buildings of the Ancestral Puebloan people still testify to the organizational and engineering abilities not seen anywhere else in the American Southwest. For a deeper contact with the canyon that was central to thousands of people between 850 and 1250 A.D., come and explore Chaco through guided tours, hiking & biking trails, evening campfire talks, and night sky programs.

Celebrate Native American Heritage in New Mexico

CULINARY

Enjoy authentic Native American cuisine and support Native American owned restaurants throughout the state.

Indian Pueblo Kitchen (at Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque)

The Indian Pueblo Kitchen is centered around Indigenous cuisine education and exploration and carries on our tradition of creative, Native American culinary artistry and Pueblo hospitality. We offer guests an unforgettable Indigenous dining experience inside the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, featuring culinary events and education, a bakery, teaching kitchen, and the renowned meal pick-up event, the Pante Project.

Laguna Burger (multiple locations)

Native American-owned and iconic spot for green chile burgers. Since its launch ten years ago, the award-winning World Famous Laguna Burger has been heralded by people of all over the country as the best they’ve ever had.

Tiwa Kitchen (Taos)

When Ben and Debbie Sandoval began construction of Tiwa Kitchen & Bakery in September 1992, they gathered friends & family and used the ancient tradition of Pueblo adobe making. Then they carefully placed over 3,000 adobes and created a solid structure that will now last hundreds of years.

Celebrate Native American Heritage in New Mexico

Bow & Arrow Brewing Co. (Albuquerque)

The first Native Woman-owned brewery. They recently announced a Native Land Beer campaign; they developed the IPA recipe and label for a beer collaboration with other breweries across the country, with releases beginning in November during Native American Heritage Month and a window to participate over several months, through the end of March 2022. Participating breweries will 1) acknowledge on whose ancestral land they are located on and there will be a place on the label to recognize the Tribe(s) and 2) commit to donating beer sales proceeds. The objective is to further visibility of Native people and to generate resources to support Native organizations whose work focuses on ecological stewardship and strengthening Native communities.

Turtle Mountain Brewing Company (Rio Rancho)

Located in the heart of one of New Mexico’s fastest-growing communities, Turtle Mountain Brewing Company was founded by Nico Ortiz in 1999, whose father was born and raised at Oke Owingeh Pueblo and who supported and inspired Nico to pursue his dream of opening a brewery. “Turtle Mountain” comes from the Tewa name for Sandia Peak, the mountain range that towers over the Albuquerque metro in the east.

Hocking Hills

Hocking Hills

The best word to describe the Hocking Hills food scene is “comfort”. Instead of franchise restaurants these hills are filled with local eateries featuring delicious, authentic comfort food. Locally owned gems are well known for legacy recipes that transport the diner to a simpler time.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day especially when your day includes hiking, canoeing and a host of other adrenalin pumping options. Start your day of exploring with whatever fuel you need to dive into one of Mother Nature’s jewels. Locally owned coffee shops and diners are found throughout the region. Best of all, local traditions are served up with local flair.

There’s a good chance, if you were raised in this part of Appalachia, you know how to make noodles. Homemade noodles are the base of the best comfort foods. They are served up in the Hocking Hills with big chunks of beef or chicken in gravy over mashed potatoes. Of course, the mashed potatoes are the real McCoy too.

Special occasions call for a special

experience. What may look like a simple cabin holds a treasure trove of taste. Fine dining in the heart of the forest increases the romance factor exponentially.

Two of the most popular comfort foods with the folks in these parts are BBQ and Pizza and both are found in all corners of the Hocking Hills.

Here the food scene is all about comfort. Local eateries are serving up their best family recipes and traditional techniques for a welcome break from franchise dining.

Be sure to visit during the Annual Comfort Food Cruise, a self-guided tour of more than a dozen local restaurants serving up a sample of a signature comfort food. The Hocking Hills Comfort Food Cruise takes place in January.

As we continue to redefine what travel looks like for our families and loved ones, we are cautiously optimistic as we venture out for weekend getaways and family vacations. As the world continues to grapple with the pandemic and new variants, the travel and hospitality industries carry on, constantly evolving and shifting gears to meet travelers’ needs.

The great outdoors and naturecentric destinations have come to the forefront in travel. Unique and quirky accommodations have become a popular choice for those seeking engaging and self-contained lodging options for their loved ones. These types of hotels and resorts allow guests to enjoy themselves indoors as much as they would outdoors.

Located in Knox County and halfway between Cleveland and Columbus right in the heart of Ohio’s Mohican Valley, lies a fantastical hotel straight out of a storybook fairytale. The hotel is owned by husband and wife team, Kevin and Laura Mooney whose childhood memories of spending time on the Mohican River and its surrounding woods left an indelible impression. The Mohicans Treehouse Resort and Wedding Venue occupies 77 acres of beautiful indigenous landscape overlooking the rolling hills of the Mohican Valley and offering visitors a magical experience.

Sustainability is evident throughout the property with repurposed and recycled features including 100year old barn siding, reused windows, doors, and cabinets and artisan-crafted hand-hewn beams. These vintage elements are complimented by elegant touches, including chandeliers, high-end furniture, and luxurious bedding. The Mooneys felt it was important to balance the resort’s rustic design with luxury.

The Wedding Center is The Mohicans’ crown jewel and one of the most exclusive and sought-after wedding venues in the Midwest. The twostory indoor/outdoor venue is perfect for nature lovers who still want an ode to elegance. Have your ceremony on the outdoor patio, followed by a cocktail reception on the expansive covered deck before heading inside for dinner, where tables rest under white and crystal chandeliers.

The property boasts nine state-ofthe art treehouses, each with their own unique story and signature. We have highlighted some of the favorites from our luxury collection. Little Red is a gothic-inspired treehouse with a massive stained glass window and a 30 foot extension bridge. The interior was designed as a brewery/tasting center for Treehouse Masters before

being converted into a treehouse. Old Pine was constructed with 100% reclaimed materials including 100 year old barn siding, hand hewn beams, cedar shake roofin, and vintage interior accentsg giving it its antique 1800’s feel. Matthew McConaughey chose this treehouse for his family getaway. Silver Bullet, is a renovated vintage 1978 Airstream trailer perched 25 feet off the ground and features a large bathroom/steam room. Another new treehouse, The View features floor-to-ceiling windows in three of its four walls. Imagine waking up in the morning with a panoramic view of the woods around you? The View gives you that immersive experience. The property’s four ground cabins

are aptly named after area rivers -- Walhonding, Kokosing, Killbuck, and to no surprise, The Mohican. Leading the charge with the two newly added country homes -- The Manor and The Farmhouse, is Laura Mooney, the creative force behind the resort’s luxury aesthetic. The Manor House was originally built in the 1800’s and is a fully remodeled log home with a modern addition and includes 3 bedrooms and 3 full baths. Laura’s personal touch and attention to detail has garnered this gorgeous cabin national coverage in some of the nation’s leading design publications.

The Mohicans Treehouse Resort and Wedding Venue - themohicans.net