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Towa (Jemez) Language

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.

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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.

Towa Language

Towa language samples and resources.

Towa Culture and History

Information and links about the Towa tribe past and present.

Pueblo Culture and History

Information and links about the Pueblo Indians in general.

Pueblo Legends

Introduction to Pueblo Indian mythology.

Towa Language Resources

Towa Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions

Pueblo Languages
Overview of Towa and other Pueblo languages from the Encyclopedia of North American Indians.

House of Languages: Towa:
Information about Towa language usage.

Ethnologue: Jemez:
Demographic information about the Towa language.

Towa Language Tree:
Theories about Towa's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.

Jemez Language Structures:
Jemez Towa linguistic profile and academic bibliography.

Additional Resources, Links, and References

   Lengua Towa:
   Information about the Towa language in Spanish.
  Towa Tribe:
  Towa Indian books.

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