San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico
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San Ildefonso Pueblo is a census-designated place located in Santa Fe County, New Mexico. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 458.
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Geography
San Ildefonso Pueblo is located at 35°53'52" North, 106°7'19" West (35.897902, -106.121834)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 10.7 km² (4.2 mi²). 10.2 km² (3.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 5.54% water.
San Ildefonso Pueblo is located at the foot of the Pajarito Mountains just 12.87 km (8 miles) east from Los Alamos New Mexico, 38.6 km (24 miles) NW of Santa Fe, New Mexico. A large volcanic outcroping lies directly north of San Ildefonso Pueblo, it is called the "Black Mesa." The Rio Grande runs through San Ildefonso Pueblo and the lowest elevation is approximately 1676 meters (5500 feet).
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 458 people, 150 households, and 118 families residing in the CDP. The population density is 45.1/km² (116.7/mi²). There are 178 housing units at an average density of 17.5/km² (45.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP is 16.16% White, 0.00% African American, 79.48% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 2.84% from other races, and 1.53% from two or more races. 10.48% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 150 households out of which 38.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% are married couples living together, 24.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 20.7% are non-families. 15.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.05 and the average family size is 3.43.
In the CDP the population is spread out with 31.4% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 98.7 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP is $30,000, and the median income for a family is $30,972. Males have a median income of $19,792 versus $19,250 for females. The per capita income for the CDP is $11,039. 14.9% of the population and 19.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 0.0% of those under the age of 18 and 50.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
History
The pueblo (Spanish for town) was founded when people came from the Mesa Verde complex in Southern Colorado. These people had first moved to Bandelier just south of Los Alamos New Mexico (birthplace of the atomic bomb). There these people thrived due to the rainfall (elevation about 7000 feet) and the ease of constructing living structures from the surrounding soft volcanic rock. But after a prolonged drought the people moved down into the valleys of the Rio Grande around 1300 AD. The Rio Grande and other arroyos provided the water for irrigation.
The Spanish conquistadors tried to subdue the native people and force their religion on the native people during the early 1600’s, which lead to the Great Pueblo Revolt of 1680. The people withstood the Spaniards by climbing to the top of the Black Mesa. The siege ended with the surrender of the native people but the Spanish gave the native people freedom of religion and other self-governing rights.
The pueblo natives continued to lead an agricultural based economy until the early 1900’s when Maria Martinez and her husband Julian Martinez rediscovered how to make the Black-on Black pottery for which San Ildefonso Pueblo would soon become famous. From that time the pueblo has become more tourist minded with numerous tourist shops existing in the Pueblo. Because of the nearness of the State of New Mexico Capital (Santa Fe) and the presence of the Los Alamos National Laboratory a large portion of those employed in the pueblo have government jobs.