Tewa language facts for kids

Tewa is a special language spoken by the Pueblo people. Most Tewa speakers live in the Rio Grande valley in New Mexico. This area is north of Santa Fe. Some speakers also live in Arizona. People sometimes call this language Tano. An older name for it is Tée-wah.

Who Speaks Tewa?

Tewa is part of the Tanoan language family. In 1980, about 1,298 people spoke Tewa. Most of these speakers also spoke English. The Tewa language has different ways of being spoken. These are called dialects. Each Pueblo community has its own unique dialect.

Tewa Speaking Communities

Here are some of the places where Tewa is spoken and how many speakers were counted:

• Nambe Pueblo: About 50 speakers in 1980, and 34 in 2004.
• Pojoaque Pueblo: Around 25 speakers in 1980.
• San Ildefonso Pueblo (also known as P'ohwhóge Owingeh): About 349 speakers.
• Ohkay Owingeh: Around 495 speakers in 1980.
• Santa Clara Pueblo: About 207 speakers in 1980.
• Tesuque Pueblo: Around 172 speakers in 1980.

Is Tewa an Endangered Language?

Yes, Tewa is considered "severely endangered" in New Mexico. This means fewer and fewer people are learning it. This information comes from UNESCO, an organization that helps protect cultures.

What Do Tewa Place Names Mean?

You might notice the "que" sound in names like "Pojoaque" and "Tesuque." In Tewa, this sound means "place." It's pronounced a bit like "ge" in Tewa, or "ki" in English.

How Is Tewa Written?

Tewa can be written using the Latin alphabet. This is the same alphabet used for English. You might see Tewa words on signs. For example, Be-pu-wa-ve means "Welcome," and sen-ge-de-ho means "Bye."

Different Pueblo communities have created their own ways to write Tewa. This means there isn't one single, official alphabet for the language. Many Tewa speakers believe the language should be passed down by speaking it, not just by writing. This is called the oral tradition. Tewa was mainly a spoken language until the 1960s. Efforts to record and save the language digitally began in 1995.

Saving the Tewa Language

Many people are working hard to keep the Tewa language alive. This is called language revitalization.

Who Is Esther Martinez?

Esther Martinez was a very important person for the Tewa language. She lived to be 94 years old. She was known across the country for her dedication to saving Tewa. Her "San Juan Pueblo Tewa Dictionary" was published in 1982. A special law, the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act, is named after her. This law helps fund programs to save Native American languages.

How Are Kids Learning Tewa?

Many Tewa-speaking pueblos have programs for children to learn the language. For example, the Santa Clara Pueblo Tewa Language Revitalization Program also offers fun cultural activities. These activities include visits to places like the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center.

The University of New Mexico has also put children's stories in Tewa online. This makes them easy to find and read.

What Is "The Young Ancestors" Film?

"The Young Ancestors" is a documentary film from 2012. It shows a group of teenagers from Santa Fe Preparatory School. They learn Tewa on their own with help from a mentor. Their mentor is Laura Kaye Eagles, a seventh-grade literature teacher.

See also

In Spanish: Idioma tegua para niños