2013 FREE Give-Away---Picuris Pueblo, New Mexico

Thanks to Governor Richard Mermejo, Lt Governor Gary Payne and Sherry Archuleta, Secretary to the Governor.

Thursday, December 5 we'll travel to the Picuris Pueblo for our 7th annual FREE Give-Away. Friday, December 6th we'll set up and Saturday, December 7th we'll welcome all the members of the tribe for their opportunity to get items for Christmas, three, six, and 12 months down the road.

Picuris Pueblo sits on the western slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and is 18 miles south of Taos Pueblo. Average elevation in the pueblo is over 7,000 feet.  It's about 24 miles north of Santa Fe.

Picuris village has occupied its present location since around 750 CE. The Picuris people previously lived in an earlier, larger village now known as Pot Creek, near Taos.

It's a member of the Eight Northern Pueblos. There are 19 Pueblos in New Mexico.

In 2000 the median income for a household in the CDP was $11,528, and the median income for a family was $16,875. Males had a median income of $21,000 versus $23,333 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $12,492. There were 36.0% of families and 28.7% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 45.0% of those over 64.

The Pueblo of the Picuris is a federally recognized tribe, whose headquarters is in Peñasco, New Mexico. Their own name for their pueblo is Pinguiltha, meaning "mountain warrior place" or "mountain pass place." They speak the Picuris language, a dialect of the Northern Tiwa language, part of the Tanoan language family. Their tribal officers, led by a tribal governor, are elected every two years.

In 1990, 147 of the 1,882 enrolled tribal members lived in the pueblo; however, the number was reduced to 86 in 2000.

Picuris is known for its micaceous pottery. Their major feast day is San Lorenzo's Day on August 10.
Spanish explorer Don Juan de Oñate called them "pikuria" - those who paint

How many places, Pueblos or Reservations have you ever seen such a great sign?

John and Judy Madden
Kenneth and  Carolene Poole
Ray and Karen Reed

2012 Clothes Give-A-Way

Finally, after four efforts to 4 different tribes/reservations we've decided to go back to Ponca City, OK. We went there last year and have gone back 2-3 times, this year, to help restock their Clothes Closet.

Our goal has been to go to different tribes/reservations yearly, but that hasn't worked out so we called Maxine Thompson, XI Part C - Director for the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, again. Thankfully she was very happy with us wanting to come back there. 

Carolene Poole, Maxine Thompson, Judy Madden

She told us, "the ones who have turned you down don't know what they're missing."

We load and leave December 5th, unload and set up the 6th and 7th, GIVE-A-WAY Saturday, December 8th. 

It's always exciting to meet new people, interact with them, watch them pick out clothes and toys, have our drawing for a Veteran and drawings for very unique items.

Especially the children as they check out the clothes and toys.

We're always looking for tribes and or reservations to take our FREE cloths, toys, books and other things we can get for the benefit of others.

John and Judy Madden

Kenneth and Carolene Poole