Walatowa
/ˌwɑːləˈtoʊwə/noun
A Towa-language name used for Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico, also associated with the surrounding community and cultural center.
Did you know?Walatowa is the community’s Towa name, while “Jemez” comes through Spanish usage and is not the Pueblo’s own original name for itself.
Etymological Timeline
Precolonial period
Towa
Walatowa
“The community’s Indigenous Towa name, traditionally translated as “this is the place.””
16th–17th Century
Spanish records
Jemez
“A Spanish form used for the Pueblo and its people; this became the name more familiar to outsiders.”
19th Century
English/Spanish
Jemez Pueblo
“The established colonial and English designation for the Pueblo community in New Mexico.”
Modern English
English
Walatowa
“The Towa name retained and publicly used for Jemez Pueblo and related cultural institutions.”