Canada :
106-604: Albuquerque ( / ˈ æ l b ə k ɜːr k i / AL -bə-kur-kee ; Spanish: [alβuˈkeɾke] ), also known as ABQ , Burque , and the Duke City , is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico . Founded in 1706 as La Villa de Alburquerque by Santa Fe de Nuevo México governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdés , and named in honor of Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, 10th Duke of Alburquerque and Viceroy of New Spain , it served as an outpost on El Camino Real linking Mexico City to
212-863: A Native American people of the Southwestern United States . With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members as of 2021 , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United States; additionally, the Navajo Nation has the largest reservation in the country. The reservation straddles the Four Corners region and covers more than 27,325 square miles (70,770 square kilometers) of land in Arizona , Utah , and New Mexico . The Navajo Reservation
318-432: A B-36 accidentally dropped a Mark 17 nuclear bomb 4.5 miles from the control tower while landing at Kirtland Air Force Base . Only the conventional trigger detonated, as the bomb was unarmed. These incidents were not reported as they were classified as secret for decades. Following the end of World War II , population shifts as well as suburban development, urban sprawl and gentrification, Albuquerque's downtown entered
424-489: A Commission/Manager municipality has identical powers to the manager in the Mayor/Council form of government. Mayor-Council system can be changed to a Commission/Manager municipality by popular vote if the population exceeds 3,000. Citizens in a Commission/Manager municipality may also vote on initiatives, referendums and recalls and the mayor has the right to vote on council issues. Only one municipality, Los Alamos ,
530-449: A Mayor-Council form of government elect a mayor (who only votes to break a tie, and does not have veto power), and a council of 4 to 10 councilors or trustees. Any municipality with a population over 1,000 with a Mayor/Council form of government may establish the office of manager who is not elected and administers the hiring and firing of municipal employees, enforces ordinances, prepares the budget, but cannot vote on council. The manager in
636-408: A Navajo and his three wives to come in and then arrested them for having a plural marriage. A small group of Navajos used force to free the women and retreated to Beautiful Mountain with 30 or 40 sympathizers. They refused to surrender to the agent, and local law enforcement and military refused the agent's request for an armed engagement. General Scott arrived, and with the help of Henry Chee Dodge ,
742-461: A bigger burden, fertility is so highly valued that males are expected to provide economic resources (known as bridewealth ). Corn is a symbol of fertility in Navajo culture as they eat white corn in the wedding ceremonies. It is considered to be immoral and/or stealing if one does not provide for the other in that premarital or marital relationship. A hogan , the traditional Navajo home, is built as
848-523: A hogan. According to Kehoe, this style of housing is distinctive to the Navajos. She writes, "Even today, a solidly constructed, log-walled Hogan is preferred by many Navajo families." Most Navajo members today live in apartments and houses in urban areas. Those who practice the Navajo religion regard the hogan as sacred. The religious song " The Blessingway " ( hózhǫ́ǫ́jí ) describes the first hogan as being built by Coyote with help from Beavers to be
954-497: A leader among the Navajo, defused the situation. During the time on the reservation, the Navajo tribe was forced to assimilate into white society. Navajo children were sent to boarding schools within the reservation and off the reservation. The first Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) school opened at Fort Defiance in 1870 and led the way for eight others to be established. Many older Navajos were against this education and would hide their children to keep them from being taken. Once
1060-529: A long relationship with Pueblo people and a willingness to incorporate Puebloan ideas and linguistic variance. There were long-established trading practices between the groups. Mid-16th century Spanish records recount that the Pueblo exchanged maize and woven cotton goods for bison meat, hides, and stone from Athabaskans traveling to the pueblos or living nearby. In the 18th century, the Spanish reported that
1166-504: A loose alliance to fight Apache and Comanche bands for the next 20 years. During this time there were relatively minor raids by Navajo bands and Spanish citizens against each other. In 1800, Governor Chacon led 500 men to the Tunicha Mountains against the Navajo. Twenty Navajo chiefs asked for peace. In 1804 and 1805, the Navajo and Spaniards mounted major expeditions against each others' settlements. In May 1805, another peace
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#17327648611241272-502: A military presence here. The town of Alburquerque was built in the traditional Spanish villa pattern: a central plaza surrounded by government buildings, homes, and a church. This central plaza area has been preserved and is open to the public as a cultural area and center of commerce. It is referred to as " Old Town Albuquerque " or simply "Old Town". Historically it was sometimes referred to as "La Placita" ( Little Plaza in Spanish). On
1378-722: A more balanced and sustainable approach to urban growth. Urban sprawl is limited on three sides—by the Sandia Pueblo to the north, the Isleta Pueblo and Kirtland Air Force Base to the south, and the Sandia Mountains to the east. Suburban growth continues at a strong pace to the west, beyond the Petroglyph National Monument, once thought to be a natural boundary to sprawl development. Because of less-costly land and lower taxes, much of
1484-482: A period of decline. Many historic buildings were razed in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for new plazas, high-rises, and parking lots as part of the city's urban renewal phase. As of 2010, only recently has Downtown Albuquerque come to regain much of its urban character, mainly through the construction of many new loft apartment buildings and the renovation of historic structures such as the KiMo Theater . During
1590-664: A precautionary measure to protect citizens and the Navajos from each other. However, the Spanish/Mexican-Navajo pattern of raids and expeditions continued. Over 400 New Mexican militia conducted a campaign against the Navajo, against the wishes of the Territorial Governor, in 1860–61. They killed Navajo warriors, captured women and children for slaves, and destroyed crops and dwellings. The Navajos call this period Naahondzood , "the fearing time." In 1861, Brigadier-General James H. Carleton , Commander of
1696-536: A proposal by the BIA that segregated units be created for the Indians. The Navajos gained firsthand experience with how they could assimilate into the modern world, and many did not return to the overcrowded reservation, which had few jobs. Four hundred Navajo code talkers played a famous role during World War II by relaying radio messages using their own language. The Japanese were unable to understand or decode it. In
1802-621: A result, General Vogel recommended their recruitment into the USMC code talker program. Each Navajo went through a basic boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot , San Diego before being assigned to Field Signal Battalion training at Camp Pendleton . Once the code talkers completed training in the States, they were sent to the Pacific for assignment to the Marine combat divisions. With that said, there
1908-557: A series of floods in the 1950s, passage of the "Arroyo Flood Control Act of 1963" provided for the construction of a series of concrete diversion channels. The network of channels was built by the Army Corps of Engineers during the 1960s and early 1970s. Iconic urban wildlife includes the roadrunner , Gunnison's prairie dog , coyote , and New Mexico whiptail lizard. The bosque is a popular destination for wildlife viewing, with opportunities to see porcupines and sandhill cranes in
2014-419: A shelter for either a man or a woman. Male hogans are square or conical with a distinct rectangular entrance, while a female hogan is an eight-sided house. Hogans are made of logs and covered in mud, with the door always facing east to welcome the sun each morning. Navajos also have several types of hogans for lodging and ceremonial use. Ceremonies, such as healing ceremonies or the kinaaldá , take place inside
2120-643: A stand on April 8, 1862, and fought the Battle of Albuquerque against a detachment of Union soldiers commanded by Colonel Edward R. S. Canby . This daylong engagement at long range led to few casualties. The residents of Albuquerque aided the Republican Union to rid the city of the occupying Confederate troops. When the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad arrived in 1880, it bypassed the Plaza, locating
2226-568: A time when the Dust Bowl was endangering the Great Plains, the government decided that the land of the Navajo Nation could support only a fixed number of sheep, goats, cattle, and horses. The Federal government believed that land erosion was worsening in the area and the only solution was to reduce the number of livestock. In 1933, John Collier was appointed commissioner of the BIA. In many ways, he worked to reform government relations with
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#17327648611242332-401: Is a system of clans or K’é that defines relationships between individuals and families. The clan system is exogamous : people can only marry (or date) partners outside their own clans, which for this purpose include the clans of their four grandparents. Some Navajos favor their children to marry into their father's clan. While clans are associated with a geographical area, the area is not for
2438-729: Is also a Laotian American temple and a sizable community in parts of this area as well as around Uptown. There is also an African American community around Highland. The Four Hills neighborhoods are located in and around the foothills on the outskirts of Southeast Albuquerque. The vast newer subdivision of Volterra lies west of the Four Hills area. Popular urban neighborhoods that can be found in Southeast Albuquerque include Nob Hill , Ridgecrest, Parkland Hills, Hyder Park, and University Heights. Traditionally consisting of agricultural and rural areas and suburban neighborhoods,
2544-596: Is an incorporated City-County with a Council-Manager system through the Los Alamos County Charter. Municipalities may also adopt a home rule charter which gives local municipalities powers not specifically authorized for municipalities by the state statutes. Twelve municipalities have adopted home rule or a charter in New Mexico. The largest municipality by population in New Mexico is Albuquerque with 564,559 residents or approximately 26.7% of
2650-454: Is closely related to the languages of the Apache ; the Navajo and Apache are believed to have migrated from northwestern Canada and eastern Alaska , where the majority of Athabaskan speakers reside. Additionally, some Navajo know Navajo Sign Language , which is either a dialect or daughter of Plains Sign Talk . Some also know Plains Sign Talk itself. Southern Athabaskan peoples, including
2756-720: Is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km) , or 0.96%, is water. Albuquerque lies within the fertile Rio Grande Valley with its Bosque forest, in the center of the Albuquerque Basin , flanked on the eastern side by the Sandia Mountains and to the west by the West Mesa . Located in central New Mexico, the city also has noticeable influences from the adjacent Colorado Plateau semi-desert, New Mexico Mountains forested with juniper and pine, and Southwest plateaus and plains steppe ecoregions, depending on where one
2862-557: Is located in north-central New Mexico. To its east are the Sandia–Manzano Mountains . The Rio Grande flows north to south through its center, while the West Mesa and Petroglyph National Monument make up the western part of the city. Albuquerque has one of the highest elevations of any major city in the U.S., ranging from 4,900 feet (1,500 m) above sea level near the Rio Grande to over 6,700 feet (2,000 m) in
2968-535: Is located. Albuquerque has one of the highest and most varied elevations of any major city in the United States, though the effects of this are greatly tempered by its southwesterly continental position. The elevation of the city ranges from 4,949 feet (1,508 m) above sea level near the Rio Grande (in the Valley) to 6,165 feet (1,879 m) in the foothill areas of Sandia Heights . At
3074-414: Is slightly larger than the state of West Virginia . The Navajo language is spoken throughout the region, and most Navajo also speak English. The states with the largest Navajo populations are Arizona (140,263) and New Mexico (108,305). More than three quarters of the enrolled Navajo population resides in these two states. Besides being enrolled in the Navajo Nation , some Navajo people are citizens of
3180-520: The 2020 United States Census , New Mexico is the 15th least-populous state with 2,117,522 inhabitants but the 5th-largest by land area , spanning 121,298.15 square miles (314,160.8 km ). New Mexico is divided into 33 counties and contains 106 municipalities consisting of cities, towns, villages and an incorporated county. New Mexico's municipalities cover only 1% of the state's land mass but are home to 65.4% of its population. All municipalities are granted local government powers including
3286-620: The Albuquerque International Sunport , the elevation is 5,355 feet (1,632 m) above sea level. The Rio Grande is classified, like the Nile , as an "exotic" river. The New Mexico portion of the Rio Grande lies within the Rio Grande Rift Valley, bordered by a system of faults , including those that lifted up the adjacent Sandia and Manzano Mountains , while lowering the area where
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3392-620: The Gathering of Nations , the New Mexico State Fair , and a diverse restaurant scene , which features both New Mexican and global cuisine . Petroglyphs carved into basalt in the western part of the city bear testimony to a Native American presence in the area dating back many centuries. These are preserved in the Petroglyph National Monument . The Tanoan and Keresan peoples had lived along
3498-664: The Indian Rights Association denounced Collier as a 'dictator' and accused him of a "near reign of terror" on the Navajo reservation. Dippie adds that "He became an object of 'burning hatred' among the very people whose problems so preoccupied him." The long-term result was strong Navajo opposition to Collier's Indian New Deal. Many Navajo young people moved to cities to work in urban factories during World War II. Many Navajo men volunteered for military service in keeping with their warrior culture, and they served in integrated units. The War Department in 1940 rejected
3604-585: The Maxwell Museum of Anthropology , University of New Mexico , the Uptown area, which includes three shopping malls ( Coronado Center , ABQ Uptown, and Winrock Town Center ), Hoffmantown, Journal Center, and Cliff's Amusement Park are all in this quadrant. Some of the most affluent neighborhoods in the city are here, including: High Desert , Tanoan, Sandia Heights, and North Albuquerque Acres. Parts of Sandia Heights and North Albuquerque Acres are outside
3710-587: The Meriam Report was published in 1929 by the Secretary of Interior, Hubert Work . This report discussed Indian boarding schools as being inadequate in terms of diet, medical services, dormitory overcrowding, undereducated teachers, restrictive discipline, and manual labor by the students to keep the school running. This report was the precursor to education reforms initiated under President Franklin D. Roosevelt , under which two new schools were built on
3816-686: The Southwest . The Albuquerque metropolitan area had 955,000 residents in 2023, and forms part of the Albuquerque–Santa Fe–Los Alamos combined statistical area , which had a population of 1,162,523. Albuquerque is a hub for technology, fine arts, and media companies . It is home to several historic landmarks , the University of New Mexico , the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta ,
3922-746: The Tewa language , meaning a large area of cultivated lands. By the 1640s, the Spanish began using the term Navajo to refer to the Diné. During the 1670s, the Spanish wrote that the Diné lived in a region known as Dinétah , about 60 miles (97 km) west of the Rio Chama Valley region. In the 1770s, the Spanish sent military expeditions against the Navajo in the Mount Taylor and Chuska Mountain regions of New Mexico. The Spanish, Navajo and Hopi continued to trade with each other and formed
4028-660: The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe . It is a repository for sound recordings, manuscripts, paintings, and sandpainting tapestries of the Navajos. It also featured exhibits to express the beauty, dignity, and logic of the Navajo religion. When Klah met Cabot in 1921, he witnessed decades of efforts by the US government and missionaries to assimilate the Navajos into mainstream society. The museum
4134-571: The federally recognized Colorado River Indian Tribes . The Navajo are speakers of a Na-Dené Southern Athabaskan language which they call Diné bizaad (lit. 'People's language'). The term Navajo comes from Spanish missionaries and historians who referred to the Pueblo Indians through this term, although they referred to themselves as the Diné, meaning '(the) people'. The language comprises two geographic, mutually intelligible dialects. It
4240-474: The 1920s, when it was absorbed by Albuquerque. Old Albuquerque High School , the city's first public high school, was established in 1879. Congregation Albert , a Reform synagogue established in 1897, by Henry N. Jaffa, who was also the city's first mayor, is the oldest continuing Jewish organization in the city. By 1900, Albuquerque boasted a population of 8,000 and all the modern amenities, including an electric street railway connecting Old Town, New Town, and
4346-417: The 1940s, large quantities of uranium were discovered in Navajo land. From then into the early 21st century, the U.S. allowed mining without sufficient environmental protection for workers, waterways, and land. The Navajos have claimed high rates of death and illness from lung disease and cancer resulting from environmental contamination. Since the 1970s, legislation has helped to regulate the industry and reduce
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4452-707: The 1940s. This quadrant includes the old communities of Atrisco, Los Padillas, Huning Castle, Kinney, Westgate, Westside, Alamosa, Mountainview, and Pajarito. The Bosque ("woodlands"), the National Hispanic Cultural Center , the Rio Grande Zoo , and Tingley Beach are also here. List of municipalities in New Mexico New Mexico is a state located in the Western United States . According to
4558-490: The 21st century, Albuquerque's population has continued to grow rapidly. The population of the city proper was estimated at 564,559 in 2020, 528,497 in 2009, and 448,607 in the 2000 census. During 2005 and 2006, the city celebrated its tricentennial with a diverse program of cultural events. The passage of the Planned Growth Strategy in 2002–2004 was the community's strongest effort to create a framework for
4664-399: The 4,000 to 5,000 people. Large-scale crop failure and disease were also endemic during this time, as were raids by other tribes and white civilians. Some Navajos froze in the winter because they could make only poor shelters from the few materials they were given. This period is known among the Navajos as "The Fearing Time". In addition, a small group of Mescalero Apache , longtime enemies of
4770-516: The Albuquerque area, as there is evidence of trade and cultural exchange among the different Native American groups going back centuries before European arrival. Albuquerque was founded in 1706 as an outpost as La Villa de Alburquerque by Francisco Cuervo y Valdés in the provincial kingdom of Santa Fe de Nuevo México . The settlement was named after the original town of Viceroy Francisco Fernández de la Cueva , 10th duke of Alburquerque , who
4876-506: The Federal District of New Mexico, initiated a series of military actions against the Navajos and Apaches. Colonel Kit Carson was at the new Fort Wingate with Army troops and volunteer New Mexico militia. Carleton ordered Carson to kill Mescalero Apache men and destroy any Mescalero property he could find. Carleton believed these harsh tactics would bring any Indian Tribe under control. The Mescalero surrendered and were sent to
4982-669: The Max Q commercial district, Albuquerque International Sunport , American Society of Radiologic Technologists , Central New Mexico Community College , UNM South Campus , Presbyterian Hospital Duke City BMX, University Stadium , Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park , The Pit , Mesa del Sol , Isleta Amphitheater , Netflix Studios , Isleta Resort & Casino, the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History , New Mexico Veterans Memorial, and Talin Market are all located in
5088-535: The Native American tribes, but the reduction program was devastating for the Navajo, for whom their livestock was so important. The government set land capacity in terms of "sheep units". In 1930 the Navajos grazed 1,100,000 mature sheep units. These sheep provided half the cash income for the individual Navajo. Collier's solution was to first launch a voluntary reduction program, which was made mandatory two years later in 1935. The government paid for part of
5194-617: The Navajo maintained large herds of livestock and cultivated large crop areas. Western historians believe that the Spanish before 1600 referred to the Navajo as Apaches or Quechos . Fray Geronimo de Zarate-Salmeron, who was in Jemez in 1622, used Apachu de Nabajo in the 1620s to refer to the people in the Chama Valley region, east of the San Juan River and northwest of present-day Santa Fe, New Mexico . Navahu comes from
5300-704: The Navajo reservation. But Rough Rock Day School was run in the same militaristic style as Fort Defiance and did not implement educational reforms. Navajo accounts of the Evangelical Missionary School portray it as having a family-like atmosphere with home-cooked meals, new or gently used clothing, humane treatment, and a Navajo-based curriculum. Educators found the Evangelical Missionary School curriculum to be much more beneficial for Navajo children. In 1937, Boston heiress Mary Cabot Wheelright and Navajo singer and medicine man Hastiin Klah founded
5406-629: The Navajo were largely hunters and gatherers . Later, they adopted farming from Pueblo people , growing mainly the traditional Native American " Three Sisters " of corn , beans , and squash . They adopted herding sheep and goats from the Spaniards as a main source of trade and food. Meat became essential in the Navajo diet. Sheep became a form of currency and familial status. Women began to spin and weave wool into blankets and clothing; they created items of highly valued artistic expression, which were also traded and sold. Oral history indicates
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#17327648611245512-579: The Navajo, are thought to have descended from a southward migration of Athabaskan peoples from subarctic North America around 1,000 years ago. It has been suggested that the Navajo and Apaches may have migrated due to the effects of a volcanic explosion in the Saint Elias Mountains of Alaska around 803 AD. Part of the migration was along the Rocky Mountains before arriving in the present-day southwest United States. Initially,
5618-481: The Navajo. In 1849, the military governor of New Mexico, Colonel John MacRae Washington —accompanied by John S. Calhoun, an Indian agent—led 400 soldiers into the Navajo country, penetrating Canyon de Chelly . He signed a treaty with two Navajo leaders: Mariano Martinez as Head Chief and Chapitone as Second Chief. The treaty acknowledged the transfer of jurisdiction from the United Mexican States to
5724-471: The Navajo. The US government made leases for livestock grazing, took land for railroad development, and permitted mining on Navajo land without consulting the tribe. In 1883, Lt. Parker, accompanied by 10 enlisted men and two scouts, went up the San Juan River to separate the Navajos and citizens who had encroached on Navajo land. In the same year, Lt. Lockett, with the aid of 42 enlisted soldiers,
5830-569: The Navajos came in or were found. Some lived near the San Juan River, some beyond the Hopi villages, and others lived with Apache bands. Beginning in the spring of 1864, the Army forced around 9,000 Navajo men, women, and children to walk over 300 miles (480 km) to Fort Sumner , New Mexico, for internment at Bosque Redondo. The internment was disastrous for the Navajo, as the government failed to provide enough water, wood, provisions, and livestock for
5936-523: The Navajos had been relocated to the area, which resulted in conflicts. In 1868, the Treaty of Bosque Redondo was negotiated between Navajo leaders and the federal government allowing the surviving Navajos to return to a reservation on a portion of their former homeland. The United States military continued to maintain forts on the Navajo reservation in the years after the Long Walk. From 1873 to 1895,
6042-486: The Rio Grande for centuries before European colonists arrived in the area that developed as Albuquerque. By the 1500s, there were around 20 Tiwa pueblos along a 60-mile (97 km) stretch of river from present-day Algodones to the Rio Puerco confluence south of Belen . Of these, 12 or 13 were densely clustered near present-day Bernalillo , and the remainder were spread out to the south. Two Tiwa pueblos lie on
6148-511: The Sandia foothills in the east. The Rio Grande's bosque has been significantly reduced and its natural flood cycle disrupted by dams built further upstream. A corridor of bosque surrounding the river within the city has been preserved as Rio Grande Valley State Park . A few remaining natural arroyos provide riparian habitat within the city, though natural arroyos draining into the Rio Grande have largely been replaced with concrete channels. After
6254-593: The Southeast quadrant of Albuquerque. The southern half of the International District lies along Central Ave and Louisiana Blvd. Here, many immigrant communities have settled and thrive, having established numerous businesses. Albuquerque's Vietnamese American community is partly business-centered in this area, as well as the Eubank, Juan Tabo, and Central areas, and other parts of Albuquerque. There
6360-421: The Southwest quadrant comprises the south-end of Downtown Albuquerque, the Barelas neighborhood, the rapidly growing west side, and the community of South Valley, New Mexico , often called "The South Valley". The quadrant extends all the way to the Isleta Indian Reservation. Newer suburban subdivisions on the West Mesa near the southwestern city limits join homes of older construction, some dating as far back as
6466-411: The U.S. Census. By 1990, it was 384,736 and in 2007 it was 518,271. In June 2007, Albuquerque was listed as the sixth fastest-growing city in the United States. In 1990, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Albuquerque's population as 34.5% Hispanic and 58.3% non-Hispanic white. On April 11, 1950, a USAF B-29 bomber carrying a nuclear weapon crashed into a mountain near Manzano Base . On May 22, 1957,
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#17327648611246572-496: The United States. The treaty allowed forts and trading posts to be built on Navajo land. In exchange, the United States, promised "such donations [and] such other liberal and humane measures, as [it] may deem meet and proper." While en route to sign this treaty, the prominent Navajo peace leader Narbona, was killed, causing hostility between the treaty parties. During the next 10 years, the U.S. established forts on traditional Navajo territory. Military records cite this development as
6678-467: The arrangement led to a gradual end in Navajo raids, as the tribe was able to increase their livestock and crops. Also, the tribe gained an increase in the size of the Navajo reservation from 3.5 million acres (14,000 km ; 5,500 sq mi) to 16 million acres (65,000 km ; 25,000 sq mi) as it stands today. But economic conflicts with non-Navajos continued for many years as civilians and companies exploited resources assigned to
6784-606: The children arrived at the boarding school, their lives changed dramatically. European Americans taught the classes under an English-only curriculum and punished any student caught speaking Navajo. The children were under militaristic discipline, run by the Siláo . In multiple interviews, subjects recalled being captured and disciplined by the Siláo if they tried to run away. Other conditions included inadequate food, overcrowding, required manual labor in kitchens, fields, and boiler rooms; and military-style uniforms and haircuts. Change did not occur in these boarding schools until after
6890-594: The city in search of a cure; this was before penicillin was found to be effective. Several sanitaria were developed on the West Mesa to serve TB patients. Presbyterian Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital, two of the largest hospitals in the Southwest, had their beginnings during this period. Influential New Deal –era governor Clyde Tingley and famed Southwestern architect John Gaw Meem were among those who came to New Mexico seeking recovery from TB. The first travelers on Route 66 appeared in Albuquerque in 1926. Soon dozens of motels, restaurants, and gift shops sprouted along
6996-440: The city into quadrants. This quadrant has been experiencing a housing expansion since the late 1950s. It abuts the base of the Sandia Mountains and contains portions of the foothills neighborhoods, which are significantly higher in elevation than the rest of the city. Running from Central Ave and the Railrunner tracks to the Sandia Peak Aerial Tram , this is the largest quadrant both geographically and by population. Martineztown,
7102-410: The city limits proper. A few houses in the farthest reach of this quadrant lie in the Cibola National Forest , just over the line into Sandoval County . This quadrant contains historic Old Town Albuquerque , which dates to the 18th century, as well as the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center . The area has a mixture of commercial districts and low to high-income neighborhoods. Northwest Albuquerque includes
7208-475: The city to make an annual holiday snowman. Albuquerque is geographically divided into four unequal quadrants that are officially part of mailing addresses, placed immediately after the street name. They are Northeast (NE), Northwest (NW), Southeast (SE), and Southwest (SW). Albuquerque's official quadrant system uses Central Ave for the north–south division and the railroad tracks for the east–west division. I-25 and I-40 are also sometimes used informally to divide
7314-643: The collection of property tax, funding of fire protection and public transit, providing and maintaining public parks, cemeteries, hospitals, libraries, and museums, building and zoning regulations, and the maintenance of municipal water, sewer, electric, natural gas and solid waste utilities. Municipalities in New Mexico may adopt one of five forms of municipal government including Mayor-Council, Mayor-Council with Manager, Council-Manager, Commission-Manager, or City-County Council-Manager. All municipalities over 10,000 people must elect their representatives by district, with those under 10,000 having option to do so. Citizens in
7420-422: The command of Captain John Reid, who journeyed deep into Navajo country and contacted him, Narbona and other Navajos negotiated a treaty of peace with Colonel Alexander Doniphan at Bear Springs, Ojo del Oso (later the site of Fort Wingate ). This agreement was not honored by some Navajo, nor by some New Mexicans. The Navajos raided New Mexican livestock, and New Mexicans took women, children, and livestock from
7526-480: The downtown headquarters for the city's transit department. It also serves as an intermodal hub for local buses, Greyhound buses, Amtrak passenger trains, and the Rail Runner commuter rail line. In the early days of transcontinental air service, Albuquerque was an important stop on many transcontinental air routes, earning it the nickname "Crossroads of the Southwest". During the early 20th century, New Mexico's dry climate attracted many tuberculosis patients to
7632-515: The exclusive use of any one clan. Members of a clan may live hundreds of miles apart but still have a clan bond. Historically, the structure of the Navajo society is largely a matrilineal system, in which the family of the women owned livestock, dwellings, planting areas, and livestock grazing areas. Once married, a Navajo man would follow a matrilocal residence and live with his bride in her dwelling and near her mother's family. Daughters (or, if necessary, other female relatives) were traditionally
7738-493: The first to fly a balloon in Albuquerque with a landing at Old Town. This was the first balloon flight in the New Mexico Territory. Due to a rising rate of violent crime, gunman Milt Yarberry was appointed the town's first marshal that year. New Albuquerque was incorporated as a town in 1885, with Henry N. Jaffa its first mayor. It was incorporated as a city in 1891. Old Town remained a separate community until
7844-651: The foothill areas of Sandia Heights and Glenwood Hills. The civic apex is found in an undeveloped area within the Albuquerque Open Space; there, the terrain rises to an elevation of approximately 6,880 feet (2,100 m), and the metropolitan area's highest point is Sandia Crest at an altitude of 10,678 feet (3,255 m). According to the United States Census Bureau , Albuquerque has a total area of 189.5 square miles (490.9 km) , of which 187.7 square miles (486.2 km)
7950-598: The green is due to large swaths of conifer forests. However, Robert Julyan notes in The Place Names of New Mexico , "the most likely explanation is the one believed by the Sandia Pueblo Indians: the Spaniards, when they encountered the Pueblo in 1540, called it Sandia, because they thought the squash growing there were watermelons, and the name Sandia soon was transferred to the mountains east of
8056-409: The ground and then met with several hundred Navajos at Houcks Tank. Rancher Bennett, whose horse was allegedly stolen, told Kerr that his horses were stolen by the three whites to catch a horse thief. In the same year, Lt. Scott went to the San Juan River with two scouts and 21 enlisted men. The Navajos believed Scott was there to drive off the whites who had settled on the reservation and had fenced off
8162-752: The growth in the metropolitan area is taking place outside of the city of Albuquerque itself. In Rio Rancho to the northwest, the communities east of the mountains, and the incorporated parts of Valencia County , population growth rates approach twice that of Albuquerque. The primary cities in Valencia County are Los Lunas and Belen , both of which are home to growing industrial complexes and new residential subdivisions. The mountain towns of Tijeras , Edgewood , and Moriarty , while close enough to Albuquerque to be considered suburbs, have experienced much less growth compared to Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, Los Lunas, and Belen. Limited water supply and rugged terrain are
8268-598: The largest section of Downtown , Rio Grande Nature Center State Park and the Bosque ("woodlands"), Petroglyph National Monument, Double Eagle II Airport , the Paradise Hills neighborhood, Taylor Ranch, and Cottonwood Mall . This quadrant also contains the North Valley settlement, outside the city limits, which has some expensive homes and small ranches along the Rio Grande . The city of Albuquerque engulfs
8374-430: The life-sustaining Rio Grande now flows. Albuquerque lies in the Albuquerque Basin , a portion of the Rio Grande rift . The Sandia Mountains are the predominant geographic feature visible in Albuquerque. Sandía is Spanish for " watermelon ", and is popularly believed to be a reference to the brilliant pink and green coloration of the mountains at sunset. The pink is due to large exposures of granodiorite cliffs, and
8480-471: The local towns surrounding the Navajo reservations contributed to residents becoming bilingual; however Navajo was still the primary language spoken at home. The Navajo Livestock Reduction was imposed upon the Navajo Nation by the federal government starting in 1933, during the Great Depression . Under various forms, it continued into the 1950s. Worried about large herds in the arid climate, at
8586-490: The main limiting factors for development in these towns. The Mid Region Council of Governments (MRCOG), which includes constituents from throughout the Albuquerque area, was formed to ensure that these governments along the middle Rio Grande would be able to meet the needs of their rapidly rising populations. MRCOG's cornerstone project is currently the New Mexico Rail Runner Express . Albuquerque
8692-509: The military employed Navajos as "Indian Scouts" at Fort Wingate to help their regular units. During this period, Chief Manuelito founded the Navajo Tribal Police . It operated from 1872 to 1875 as an anti-raid task force working to maintain the peaceful terms of the 1868 Navajo treaty. By treaty, the Navajos were allowed to leave the reservation for trade, with permission from the military or local Indian agent . Eventually,
8798-555: The new reservation called Bosque Redondo . In 1863, Carleton ordered Carson to use the same tactics on the Navajo. Carson and his force swept through Navajo land, killing Navajos and destroying crops and dwellings, fouling wells, and capturing livestock. Facing starvation and death, Navajo groups came to Fort Defiance for relief. On July 20, 1863, the first of many groups departed to join the Mescalero at Bosque Redondo. Other groups continued to come in through 1864. However, not all
8904-619: The north side of Old Town Plaza is San Felipe de Neri Church . Built in 1793, it is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city. After the New Mexico Territory became a part of the United States in the mid-19th century, a federal garrison and quartermaster depot, the Post of Albuquerque, were established here, operating from 1846 to 1867. In Beyond the Mississippi (1867), Albert D. Richardson , traveling to California via coach, passed through Albuquerque in late October 1859—its population
9010-417: The northernmost territories of New Spain . Located in the Albuquerque Basin , the city is flanked by the Sandia Mountains to the east and the West Mesa to the west, with the Rio Grande and bosque flowing north-to-south through the middle of the city. According to the 2020 census , Albuquerque had 564,559 residents, making it the 32nd-most populous city in the United States and the fourth largest in
9116-531: The old route now have brown, historical highway markers denoting it as Pre-1937 Route 66. The establishment of Kirtland Air Force Base in 1939, Sandia Base in the early 1940s, and Sandia National Laboratories in 1949, would make Albuquerque a key player of the Atomic Age. Meanwhile, the city continued to expand outward into the Northeast Heights, reaching a population of 201,189 by 1960 per
9222-420: The ones who received the generational property inheritance. In cases of marital separation, women would maintain the property and children. Children are "born to" and belong to the mother's clan, and are "born for" the father's clan. The mother's eldest brother has a strong role in her children's lives. As adults, men represent their mother's clan in tribal politics. Traditionally, there are four clans said to be
9328-576: The original ones, given to the Navajo from Asdzą́ą́ Nádleehé or Changing Woman. Today there are more than 100 clans, some of which include other Native nations, such as Naashtʼézhí diné’e referring to the Zuni , of the Naashgalí diné’é , referring to the Mescalero Apache. Men and women are seen as contemporary equals as both males and females are needed to reproduce. Although women may carry
9434-480: The outskirts of present-day Albuquerque. Both have been continuously inhabited for many centuries: Sandia Pueblo was founded in the 14th century, and Pueblo of Isleta is documented in written records since the early 17th century. It was then chosen as the site of the San Agustín de la Isleta Mission , a Catholic mission . The historic Navajo , Apache , and Comanche peoples were likely to have set camps in
9540-585: The passenger depot and railyards about 2 miles (3 km) east in what quickly became known as New Albuquerque or New Town. The railway company built a hospital for its workers that was later used as a juvenile psychiatric facility. It has since been converted to a hotel. Many Anglo merchants, mountain men, and settlers slowly filtered into Albuquerque, creating a major mercantile commercial center in Downtown Albuquerque . From this commercial center on July 4, 1882, Park Van Tassel became
9646-790: The pueblo." He also notes that the Sandia Pueblo Indians call the mountain Bien Mur , "Big Mountain." Albuquerque lies at the northern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert transitioning into the Colorado Plateau . The Sandia Mountains represent the northern edge of the Arizona/New Mexico Mountains ecoregion . The environments of Albuquerque include the Rio Grande bosque , (floodplain cottonwood forest), arid scrub, and mesas that turn into
9752-636: The recently established University of New Mexico campus on the East Mesa. In 1902, the Alvarado Hotel was built adjacent to the new passenger depot, and it remained a famous symbol of the city for decades. Outdated, it was razed in 1970 and the site was converted to a parking lot. In 2002, the Alvarado Transportation Center was built on the site in a style resembling the old landmark. The large metro station functions as
9858-628: The respect of all Americans. The name "Navajo" comes from the late 18th century via the Spanish (Apaches de) Navajó "(Apaches of) Navajó", which was derived from the Tewa navahū "farm fields adjoining a valley". The Navajos call themselves Diné . Like other Apacheans , the Navajos were semi-nomadic from the 16th through the 20th centuries. Their extended kinship groups had seasonal dwelling areas to accommodate livestock, agriculture, and gathering practices. As part of their traditional economy, Navajo groups may have formed trading or raiding parties, traveling relatively long distances. There
9964-510: The river from the Navajo. Scott found evidence of many non-Navajo ranches. Only three were active, and the owners wanted payment for their improvements before leaving. Scott ejected them. In 1890, a local rancher refused to pay the Navajos a fine for livestock. The Navajos tried to collect it, and whites in southern Colorado and Utah claimed that 9,000 of the Navajos were on a warpath. A small military detachment out of Fort Wingate restored white citizens to order. In 1913, an Indian agent ordered
10070-513: The roadside to serve them. Route 66 originally ran through the city on a north–south alignment along Fourth Street. In 1937 it was realigned along Central Avenue , a more direct east–west route. The intersection of Fourth and Central downtown was the principal crossroads of the city for decades. The majority of the surviving structures from the Route 66 era are on Central, though there are also some on Fourth. Signs between Bernalillo and Los Lunas along
10176-497: The state population. The smallest municipality by population is Grenville with 22 residents. The largest municipality by land area is also Albuquerque which spans 187.73 sq mi (486.2 km ), while Virden is the smallest at 0.22 sq mi (0.57 km ). ‡ State capital and county seat † County seat § Home rule or chartered City–County (Council–Manager) § Navajo The Navajo or Diné , are
10282-547: The toll. The Navajo Code Talkers played a significant role in USMC history. Using their own language they utilized a military code; for example, the Navajo word "turtle" represented a tank. In 1942, Marine staff officers composed several combat simulations and the Navajo translated it and transmitted it in their dialect to another Navajo on the other line. This Navajo then translated it back into English faster than any other cryptographic facility, which demonstrated their efficacy. As
10388-484: The value of each animal, but it did nothing to compensate for the loss of future yearly income for so many Navajo. In the matrilineal and matrilocal world of the Navajo, women were especially hurt, as many lost their only source of income with the reduction of livestock herds. The Navajos did not understand why their centuries-old practices of raising livestock should change. They were united in opposition but they were unable to stop it. Historian Brian Dippie notes that
10494-623: The village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque . A small portion of the rapidly developing area on the west side of the river south of the Petroglyphs, known as the " West Mesa " or "Westside", consisting primarily of traditional residential subdivisions, also extends into this quadrant. The city proper is bordered on the north by the North Valley, the village of Corrales , and the city of Rio Rancho . Kirtland Air Force Base , Sandia National Laboratories , Sandia Science & Technology Park,
10600-445: The winter. Cooper's hawks are common in city parks. Iconic vegetation includes the Rio Grande cottonwood in the bosque, and tree cholla , prickly pear , yucca , chamisa , and oneseed juniper in upland areas. The foothill open space at the eastern border also features Sonoran scrub oak and piñon pine . Desert willows are commonly planted throughout the city. Tumbleweeds are a common weed in disturbed areas, and are used by
10706-550: Was 3,000 at the time—and described it as "one of the richest and pleasantest towns, with a Spanish cathedral and other buildings more than two hundred years old." During the Civil War , Albuquerque was occupied for a month in February 1862 by Confederate troops under General Henry Hopkins Sibley . He soon afterward advanced with his main body into northern New Mexico. During his retreat from Union troops into Texas , he made
10812-559: Was established. Similar patterns of peace-making, raiding, and trading among the Navajo, Spaniards, Apache, Comanche, and Hopi continued until the arrival of Americans in 1846. The Navajos encountered the United States Army in 1846 when General Stephen W. Kearny invaded Santa Fe with 1,600 men during the Mexican–American War . On November 21, 1846, following an invitation from a small party of American soldiers under
10918-632: Was founded to preserve the religion and traditions of the Navajo, which Klah was sure would otherwise soon be lost forever. The result of these boarding schools led to much language loss within the Navajo Nation. After the Second World War, the Meriam Report funded more children to attend these schools with six times as many children attending boarding school than before the War. English as the primary language spoken at these schools as well as
11024-466: Was from Alburquerque, Badajoz in southwest Spain. Albuquerque developed primarily for farming and sheep herds. It was a strategically located trading and military outpost along the Camino Real . It served other Tiquex and Hispano towns settled in the area, such as Barelas , Corrales , Isleta Pueblo , Los Ranchos , and Sandia Pueblo . After gaining independence in 1821, Mexico established
11130-460: Was joined by Lt. Holomon at Navajo Springs . Evidently, citizens of the surnames Houck and/or Owens had murdered a Navajo chief's son, and 100 armed Navajo warriors were looking for them. In 1887, citizens Palmer, Lockhart, and King fabricated a charge of horse stealing and randomly attacked a dwelling on the reservation. Two Navajo men and all three whites died as a result, but a woman and a child survived. Capt. Kerr (with two Navajo scouts) examined
11236-488: Was never a crack in the Navajo language, it was never deciphered. It is known that many more Navajos volunteered to become code talkers than could be accepted; however, an undetermined number of other Navajos served as Marines in the war, but not as code talkers. These achievements of the Navajo Code Talkers have resulted in an honorable chapter in USMC history. Their patriotism and honor inevitably earned them
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