Chief Manitou
In the first decade of the 20th century Cayete, a great uncle of Mike's and Bob's
grandmother, performed here at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. At a time when
Native Americans were more of a curiosity to western tourists, "Chief
Manitou," as he was nicknamed by old timers in Manitou Springs, and
other Indians would meet arriving passenger trains at Colorado Springs'
old Rio Grande Railroad Terminal, now occupied by Giuseppe's Restaurant.
He also sold Indian "trinkets" at the Narrows in William's
Canyon, below the Cave of the Winds.
Joseph Tafoya, Sr.
(Chief Little Deer), 1892-1972
Chief Little Deer entertained and educated Cliff Dwellings visitors from
1916 until his death in 1972, right here in the Pueblo building. A
volunteer, he was one of the original Seabees during World War I. He
attended Carlisle University with Jim Thorpe. Later, he served as governor
of the Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico. During the 1940's he was Chairman of the All
Pueblo Indian Council. After he moved to Colorado Springs, he worked as
custodian for the old Antlers Hotel, where he kept the Otis elevators
running.
Joseph Tafoya, Jr. (Whitecloud), 1922-2000
Bob and Mike's father,
Whitecloud (okhuwa-tsa in his native Tewa language), died July 19,
2000, at the age of 78. Following in the footsteps of his own father, he
performed for decades here at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. He was a
man of many talents. While attending Santa Fe Indian School, he studied
with well-known Indian artists Pablita Velarde and Allen Houser. Later,
while attending high school in Espaņola, one of his paintings of
traditional Pueblo life won a national art competition judged by Norman
Rockwell. Much of the life of Joseph Jr. was spent with another love of
his, airplanes. After working at Santa Fe and Phoenix airports, he
enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, serving in England in World War II
and rising to the rank of Master Sergeant. For two years in the early
1950s, he and his family toured the western United States performing
American Indian dances and songs under the National School Assemblies
Program. In 1957 Joseph Jr. was one of the first Indian dancers to perform
at Disneyland's Frontier Village. During later years in California he was
very active in inter-tribal organizations that provided health, employment
and economic assistance to American Indians. He served on the boards of
many of those organizations. Joseph Jr. retired after 31 years of service
with the Airesearch Company in Los Angeles.
Mike Little Deer Tafoya,
1948-2001
Cliff Dwellings visitors and staff will miss Mike
Little Deer Tafoya. He died on August 4, 2001, following a short illness.
He was 53. Born at Santa Clara Pueblo in Northern New Mexico, Mike was
already dancing at the age of two with his Grandfather, Joseph Tafoya Sr.
(Chief Little Deer), and others at the Manitou Cliff Dwellings. He
traveled around the world with members of his family, sharing Native
American Indian culture and dance with others. In his later years he acted
as emcee for the Cliff Dwelling dancers, lacing his descriptions of dance
origins and significance with a unique brand of humor.
Two Worlds
Today, when the
Cliff Dwellings dancers are asked
about the challenges of being Indian in these times, the older man says
that he can function in both the modern and traditional societies. While
the younger dancers admit they're firmly rooted in the modern world, they
maintain their connections to the traditional culture through their
dancing and periodic visits to Santa Clara Pueblo.
The Tafoyas are members of the
Winter Clan, also known as the Corn People, who are connected to the Hopi.
According to their creation story, they are the Ice People, who emerged
from the Earth at a point between the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the
Great Sand Dunes National Monument in Southern Colorado.
Visitors to the Manitou Cliff
Dwellings can enjoy Native American Indian singing, drumming,
dancing and culture during the months of June, July and August.
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