Many things have impacted the Laguna Pueblo culture throughout the years but none as much as the Spanish speaking people who came from the south. The Spaniards were the earliest contacts of non-Indians that Laguna people experienced. The word Pueblo is the Spanish name for "town or village".
Our story today is on the traditional adobe mud ovens that Native Americans use to bake bread, Easter Pudding and roast sweet corn. These ovens, otherwise known as hornos were introduced by the Spanish in the late 1500's. In 2007, the Laguna Elementary School obtained the services of a local tribal member, Mr. Richard Aragon and his wife Marlene, to build a traditional oven that would be located on school grounds. School administrators felt that having an oven located at the school would not only allow for teaching opportunities but it would also keep students grounded in their culture.
The process began with the making of all natural adobe bricks, gathering of local sandstone, straw and mud. |
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The first rolls of adobe go up and are held together with the mud. |
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The flooring inside the oven is filled with cinder remains from the coal trains that once rolled through the reservation. The cinders heat up when the oven is fired and help to maintain the temperature for even baking. |
Next the flat sandstones are placed on the top of the adobe wall to begin the construction of the dome for the oven. This process is completed in phases to allow drying of the mud to occur in order to support the weight of the top overlaying courses of stone. |
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| As the building process went on, students were brought out to listen to stories from Mr. Aragon in the Laguna Native Language about how the oven was being built. Students took notes and then measured the various dimensions of the stones and adobes and performed math calculations. | |
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| As the dome is constructed, the inward curve of the oven begins to take shape. The walls of the oven will eventually close at the top with a small opening at the top that allows the smoke to escape. You will notice a flat stone used at the top to bridge the gap between the walls and provide an opening for the oven. The oven must be mud plastered on the outside by hand. The mud is applied by lightly throwing it on. | |
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Constructing the opening at the top |
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The final coat of mud plaster is smooth with water |
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Inside Views |
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| Keeping the oven from moisture and allowing it to dry is critical. This will take a number of days. The first fire should be small and brief so as not to crack the walls of the oven. |  |
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The finished product & the proud builder Mr. Richard Aragon |
Thank you to Mr. & Mrs. Aragon for sharing their knowledge and keeping our culture alive! |
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