Land of the People: Tierra Sagrada Opens at the 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 December 20, 2025 – March 14, 2026, we are featuring the Tortugas Pueblo. An opening reception for the Tortugas Pueblo exhibit, Land of the People: Tierra Sagrada, is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 11:45 on Saturday, December 20, 2025. Members of the Tortugas Pueblo and the four Pueblo-based dance groups will be present, and events will be held during the reception.

Located south of Las Cruces, the ancestors of the current Tortugas Pueblo left Spanish missions in El Paso, Texas, during the early 1800s and moved into the Mesilla Valley, ultimately settling in their present location by the 1880s. Working with Colonel Eugene Van Patton, the Pueblo obtained 40 acres of land south of Las Cruces in 1908. In 1914, La Corporación de los Indigenes de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe was formed. The members of the Pueblo and its extended community have since remained active in the Mesilla Valley.

Their annual Our Lady of Guadalupe Fiesta in December is a significant ceremony for members of the Pueblo, which is also enjoyed by members of the surrounding community. Four Pueblo-based dance groups participate in this and other ceremonies. They include Los Indios de Tortugas, Los Danzantes, La Danza Azteca Chichimeca, and Danza Guadalupana Azteca.

This featured rotating space changes every 12 weeks, which allows each Indigenous group to go deeper into their own unique stories, traditions, and perspectives. The exhibit sequence is as follows: Pueblo of Tortugas, December 20, 2025 – March 14, 2026; Mescalero Apache Tribe, April 4 – June 27, 2026; Piro-Manso-Tiwa Indian Tribe, July 18– October 10, 2026; Chiricahua Apache Nation, November 7, 2026 – January 30, 2027; and Gila Apache, February 20 – May 15, 2027.

For more information on up-to-date events visit lascruces.gov/museums or Las Cruces Museums’ social media platforms @LCMuseums.

The Branigan Cultural Center is located at 501 N. Main St. and is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. There is no admission charge. The museum is accessible from Roadrunner Transit Route 1 Stop 1.