American Indian Culture and Research Journal

Occasionally romanticized and often misinterpreted, the crucial role played by native peoples in the development of the American West is none-the-less universally recognized. In particular, the importance of the Pueblo Indians to the history of northern New Mexico is acknowledged by historians, novelists, and present day tourist bureau writers alike. Given the great influence of the Pueblo people in the development of the region, it is not surprising that these Indians played a particularly significant role in the creation of the internationally known artist colony established in the Taos-Santa Fe area during the early years of the twentieth century. Unfortunately the nature of that role has often been oversimplified, either by reducing it to the view that Indians were merely particularly colorful "subject matter," or by relegating it to the realm of unrealistic romanticization of the Indian culture. The Pueblos were, indeed, appealing subjects, but they were also much more than that to many of the artists and authors who settled permanently in the towns of Taos and Santa Fe between 1900 and 1940. The Pueblo Indian culture had a unique and influential role in nurturing both the initial establishment and the continuing productivity of the region as a cultural center, and that role deserves deeper exploration and greater recognition than it has received previously.