Tewa (also known as Tano) is one of three Kiowa-Tanoan languages spoken by the
Pueblo people of New Mexico.
Though these three languages are closely related, speakers of
one cannot fully understand speakers of another (similar to German and English speakers).
The six Tewa-speaking pueblos are Nambe, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, San Juan, Santa Clara, and Tesuque.
As with Tiwa, Towa and Keres, there is some disagreement among the Tewa people as to whether Tewa should be a written language or not. Some Pueblo elders
feel that their languages should be preserved by oral traditions alone. However, many Tewa speakers have decided that Tewa literacy is important for passing the
language on to the children. The Tewa pueblos developed their own orthography (spelling system) for their language, San Juan Pueblo has published a dictionary
of Tewa, and today there are Tewa language programs teaching children to read and write in most of the Tewa-speaking pueblos.
American Indian cultures
Tewa Words
Contacts and FAQ page
