Land of the People: Tierra Sagrada
Featuring the Pueblo of Tortugas
December 20, 2025 – March 14, 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 December 20, 2025 – March 14, 2026, the Tortugas Pueblo is featured in this rotating gallery space.
Opening Reception
An opening reception for the Tortugas Pueblo exhibit, Land of the People: Tierra Sagrada, is scheduled for:
Saturday, December 20, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Members of the Tortugas Pueblo and the four Pueblo-based dance groups will be present, and events will be held during the reception.
About the Tortugas Pueblo
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 Indígenas de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe was formed. Members of the Pueblo and its extended community have since remained active in the Mesilla Valley.
Cultural Traditions
The annual Our Lady of Guadalupe Fiesta, held in December, is a significant ceremony for members of the Pueblo and is also enjoyed by members of the surrounding community.
Four Pueblo-based dance groups participate in this and other ceremonies:
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Los Indios de Tortugas
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Los Danzantes
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La Danza Azteca Chichimeca
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Danza Guadalupana Azteca
