Towa (also known as Jemez, after the pueblo where it is spoken) is one of three
Kiowa-Tanoan languages spoken by the
Pueblo people of New Mexico. Though these languages are closely related, speakers of
one cannot fully understand speakers of another (similar to German and English speakers). There are about 4000 speakers of the three languages in the
American Southwest today.
The Jemez people prefer their language not to be written down for cultural and spiritual reasons, out of respect for which we do not have a Towa vocabulary
page on our site. If you would like to know a bit of the Towa language, we recommend the audio CD
Flying Free, where you can hear the language sung by Jemez
Pueblo drum group Black Eagle.