Land of the People: Naf’ole atsihem
Featuring the Piro-Manso-Tiwa Indian Tribe Pueblo of San Juan de Guadalupe
July 18, 2026 – October 10, 2026 | Branigan Cultural Center
Within the Land of the People: Shimba Tainin kau natheure wein – Tierra Sagrada – Ndende bì Ke’ya – Naf’ole atsihem – Nde benah – Ndee Biyááh exhibit at the Branigan Cultural Center, a special, changing gallery space allows each Indigenous group to go deeper into their unique stories. From July 18 – October 10, 2026, the Piro-Manso-Tiwa Indian Tribe is featured in this rotating gallery space.
About the Piro-Manso-Tiwa Indian Tribe
The Piro-Manso-Tiwa (PMT) Indian Tribe has a long history in the Borderland region, with ancestral homelands in Central and Southern New Mexico. They arrived in the El Paso/Ciudad Juárez area in 1680 after the Spanish forced numerous Indigenous groups to the South. For nearly 200 years, the PMT lived in villages along the Rio Grande but eventually moved north into the Mesilla Valley and Las Cruces, ultimately settling around Cacique Felipe Roybal’s house in the early 1900s. The house is within the current Mesquite Historic District, where tribal meetings and ceremonial dances are still held.
The Piro-Manso-Tiwa Indian Tribe has petitioned for federal recognition. While they wait for that bureaucratic process to be completed, their members continue to gather as an active and involved tribe with strong ties to the Las Cruces community. We invite you to learn more about this local Indigenous group and their heritage and traditions.
