The Winter Solstice Altars at Hano Pueblo

A vivid portrait of a living tradition, this study takes listeners into the winter solstice ceremonies of Hano Pueblo, a small Tewa‑speaking community perched on the East Mesa of Arizona. The narrator recounts the intricate altars fashioned in the Moñkiva, the chief ceremonial chamber, and explains how their distinctive designs preserve the ancient rituals of an eastern homeland far from the Rio Grande.

Beyond the altars themselves, the narrative weaves together the intertwined histories of Hopi and Tewa peoples, tracing migrations, alliances, and the subtle ways new clans adapted to and reshaped older customs. Listeners will hear about the Tûñtai rite, its dual naming with the Hopi Soyaluña, and the enduring ties that bind Hano’s residents to distant pueblos. The account offers a window into cultural resilience, inviting curiosity about how language, ceremony, and community endure across generations.