The Pueblo de San Ildefonso’s Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities (HKHC) Initiative is a program in the Health and Human Services Division and is part of a larger team in the Pueblo that makes sure the community has accessible education sessions to help with their overall health. The HKHC Initiative promotes community health by implementing alcohol, drug, and tobacco prevention programs focusing on youth. The HKHC initiative office is a leader the community’s health council initiatives.
The Pueblo de San Ildefonso’s Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities Initiative works hard to provide the children, families and community of Pueblo de San Ildefonso with preventive education in Diabetes and Obesity. The focus of the HKHC initiative is to advance policy, systems, and environmental change strategies in Pueblo de San Ildefonso that increase children and family opportunities for healthy eating and active living where they live, learn, play, work, eat, and shop. Healthy eating and active living are two lifestyle behavior choices that help prevent obesity.
The Pueblo de San Ildefonso history dates back to 1300 A.D. when the people from Bandelier moved down to the current location next to the Rio Grande. Before this, they had come from Mesa Verde in Southern Colorado. Today the Pueblo consists of over 60,000 acres and has an enrollment of approximately 750 people. We are located north of Santa Fe, off State Road 502 and east of Los Alamos, along the Rio Grande Valley.
Our annual feast celebration and ceremonies begin the evening of January 22nd with church vespers. The animal dancers make an appearance in the plaza, walking through the central area, around bonfires on either side. They retire quickly and will not be seen until dawn the following morning. On January 23rd, beginning at dawn, the People of San Ildefonso celebrate their annual feast day with traditional dances, Deer and Comanche dances. There is Mass celebrated on this day as well. These dances, vespers and Mass blend the native practices with the feast day of the saint Ildefonso.
Our Pueblo is known for its traditional black on black pottery a highly polished finish and black matte design, as well as red and polychrome pottery. There are also painters, jewelry makers, weavers, carvers, seamstresses, and moccasin makers here at the Pueblo.
South Kiva Road