The hotel has recently been remodeled, and has a lovely and comfortable lobby and beautiful meeting and dining facilities; rooms feature "pillow top" mattresses, extremely comfortable furniture and beautiful decor. [Please note that this is a preliminary itinerary only and is subject to change based upon local conditions.]

Depart at 3:30 PM for Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo procession and dances.

Boxed dinners provided by hotel. Return around 7:30 PM.

This is a traditional Santa Fe activity, where thousands of people walk up and down this famous street, looking at the farolitos, luminarios, and beautifully lit shops and homes. The street is closed to traffic; it's a walk of at least a mile or so in cold evening temperatures...as we said, it's an optional activity!

You'll view the special dances for an hour or so before returning to the hotel in Santa Fe for a little rest and relaxation.

Ohkay Owingeh currently operates a number of prosperous businesses and is one of northern New Mexico's major employers. It is also home to many artists, particularly those who specialize in carved redware pottery. With an active spiritual and ceremonial life, Ohkay Owingeh people have blended the strengths of the past with a promising future. This pueblo was first occupied in the late 12th century. When Don Juan de Onate led a band of settlers, soldiers, Mexican Indians and Franciscan priests into the area in 1598, he was so impressed with the industry and friendliness of the native people that he decided the site would serve as the first capital of the vast new Spanish territory of Nuevo Mexico, which stretched from Texas to the Pacific Ocean and north into Utah and Colorado. For 12 years, after the revolt in 1680, the pueblos were free of Spaniards, until Don Juan de Vargas reasserted Spanish control.

Today, Ohkay Owingeh continues to be a center of government. The largest of the six Tewa-speaking pueblos, it has more than 2000 members and covers 12,230 acres

Free time after class until dinner.

Board bus at 9:15 AM for trip to the Corn Dance at Santo Domingo Pueblo. One of the most populous yet least open of all NM pueblos, Santo Domingo is home to many talented artists who rely on contact with outside markets for their livelihood and are happy to see visitors. Those who venture to the pueblo will discover an especially lovely Catholic church and a handful of fine arts and crafts shops.

The pueblo is a Keres-speaking pueblo established in the 15th century by immigrants from villages atop the nearby Pajarito Plateau. After the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, residents fled to a nearby mesa-top stronghold for safety. In 1692, Don Diego de Vargas stormed their mountain refuge and burned it as well as the pueblo. Around 1793, refugees from the pueblos of the Galisteo River drainage, ravaged by nomadic raiders and disease, moved into Santo Domingo. The pueblo's current village was apparently occupied about 1886. Today, the tribe has a population of more than 4,500 people, two-thirds of whom live on the reservation. The pueblo is best known for its beadmakers, jewelers, and for its pottery. The Santo Domingo church also makes a memorable impression.

Mr. Roybal has won many awards for his original and traditional renditions of Native American music. He's dedicated to maintaining the integrity of this musical heritage, and is a fine singer, guitarist and player of the Native American flute.

He's one of our Road Scholar teaching treasures, and we know you'll enjoy your time with him.