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Tano/Tewa Indian Language

Tewa (also known as Tano) is one of three Kiowa-Tanoan languages spoken by the Pueblo people of New Mexico. Though these three languages are closely related, speakers of one cannot fully understand speakers of another (similar to German and English speakers). The six Tewa-speaking pueblos are Nambe, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, San Juan, Santa Clara, and Tesuque.

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As with Tiwa, Towa and Keres, there is some disagreement among the Tewa people as to whether Tewa should be a written language or not. Some Pueblo elders feel that their languages should be preserved by oral traditions alone. However, many Tewa speakers have decided that Tewa literacy is important for passing the language on to the children. The Tewa pueblos developed their own orthography (spelling system) for their language, San Juan Pueblo has published a dictionary of Tewa, and today there are Tewa language programs teaching children to read and write in most of the Tewa-speaking pueblos.

Tewa Language

Tewa language samples and resources.

Tewa Culture and History

Information and links about the Tewa tribe past and present.

Pueblo Culture and History

Information and links about the Pueblo Indians in general.

Pueblo Legends

Introduction to Pueblo Indian mythology.

Tewa Language Resources

Our Online Tewa Materials

Tewa Words
Our list of vocabulary words in the Tewa language (from San Juan Pueblo.)

Tewa Language Lessons and Linguistic Descriptions

Saving the Tewa Stories
Article on Tewa language preservation programs.

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

Tewa Prayers:
Tewa translation of the Lord's Prayer.

Pueblo Placenames:
Southwestern place names in Tewa, Tiwa, Jemez, Keres, and Zuni.

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

Ethnologue: Tewa:
Demographic information about the Tewa language.

Tewa Language Tree

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

Arizona Tewa Language Structures

San Juan Tewa Language Structures:

Rio Grande Tewa Language Structures:
Tewa linguistic profile and academic bibliography.

Tewa Vocabulary:
Early 20th-century wordlists of San Ildefonso Tewa.

Tewa Dictionaries, Audio Tapes and Language Resources
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San Juan Pueblo Tewa Dictionary
The San Juan Pueblo Bilingual Program's dictionary of the Tewa language, for sale online.

Additional Resources, Links, and References

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

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