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Members of New Mexico’s Picuris Pueblo Tribal Nation have long recounted their lineage tracing back to ancient North American ancestors. Recent genetic studies validate these ancestral claims, adding depth to the historical narrative of the tribe.
The findings, published on April 30 in Nature, emerged from a collaborative effort between representatives of the Picuris Pueblo and a team of genetic scientists. Traditional knowledge keepers within the community emphasize their cultural ties to significant archaeological sites, notably Chaco Canyon. This area, a vital hub of over 200 Great House communities, was prominent from approximately 850 to 1150 and is situated around 275 kilometers west of Picuris Pueblo.
Craig Quanchello, lieutenant governor of the Picuris Pueblo and coauthor of the study, expressed the emotional weight of the findings: “Our elders knew we had always been here, but it was very moving and powerful to see it validated on paper that we have a maternal genetic link to Chaco Canyon.”
Upon observing that their protests against oil and gas drilling in Chaco Canyon were being overlooked, Picuris officials sought the expertise of University of Copenhagen’s Eske Willerslev to investigate their genetic history. His previous studies on ancient DNA have uncovered significant modern connections to ancient populations.
With consent from the tribe, Willerslev’s team examined DNA from 16 individuals interred at Picuris Pueblo between 700 and 500 years ago. They compared this with blood samples from 13 contemporary tribal members, along with genetic material from ancient and current residents of Siberia and the Americas, including those buried in Chaco Canyon’s largest Great House.
Findings from the analysis indicated that modern Picuris individuals share a strong genetic link, specifically a maternal lineage tracing back to Chaco Canyon.
Some researchers had previously theorized that the decline of Chaco Canyon around 1150 led to an exodus of its inhabitants, suggesting that ancestors of the Picuris and other Pueblo tribes arrived in the Four Corners region at a later time. However, the new research challenges this narrative.
Evidence from inherited gene patterns suggests that the Picuris population remained stable at around 3,000 individuals post-Chaco, indicating that their ancestors did not leave the vicinity, thereby ensuring continuity of lineage to current Picuris descendants. The sole instance of DNA attributed to Athabascan people in later specimens suggests a possible migration into the Southwest around 1450.
According to the study, the Picuris population faced a drastic decline—estimated at 85 percent—following the onset of Spanish colonial rule in the mid-1500s. Today, the Picuris Pueblo consists of approximately 306 members.
Connections to Chaco Canyon’s ancient populace are claimed across various Pueblo tribes throughout the Southwestern United States, although many remain untested genetically.
Increasing cooperation between scientists and Indigenous communities has unveiled genetic links to ancient North American cultures. The push for these studies was fueled by Indigenous desires to rebury ancestral remains, a practice once met with resistance from archaeologists. Federal regulations from 1990 promoting the repatriation of Native American artifacts and remains, combined with advancements in genetic technology, have encouraged reexamination of ancient remains in relation to contemporary tribes.
Despite past grievances with the archaeological community regarding the exhumation of sacred remains, genetic evidence now reinforces Indigenous oral traditions while critiquing prevailing archaeological beliefs that depicted Native American cultures as isolated.
David Hurst Thomas, an archaeologist at the American Museum of Natural History, described the Picuris project as groundbreaking. This collaboration differed significantly from previous studies, as the Picuris community directed the research process and maintained autonomy over publication and participation.
The new insights align with a growing narrative suggesting that communities like Picuris migrated away from larger Chaco settlements around 1200. This shift allowed them to escape rigid social hierarchies, fostering smaller, self-sufficient social structures.
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