Pueblo of Isleta, Rio Grande River circa 1907. Credit: 2016(2)-0039, Simeon Schwemberger Photograph
Albums, Collection, Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico.

Welcome to the Pueblo of Isleta

The Pueblo of Isleta is nestled in the scenic Rio Grande Valley, 15 miles south of Albuquerque. It is one of the larger 19 Pueblos within New Mexico and was established in the 1300s. Isleta Pueblo covers an area of more than 329 square miles, surrounded by the Manzano Mountains to the east and to the desert mesa lands of the Rio Puerco on the west. The name Isleta comes from the Spanish language which means “Little Island.”

 Knowledge is deepened when learning experiences foster connection, 
mutual respect and a shared vision. 

A Meeting of Sacred Waters 2026 is a biennial meeting that creates space for Indigenous stewards and practitioners to share worldviews, values, and knowledge in the collective effort to restore and protect the health of traditional waterways. It honors all the ancestral waters that flow from the mountains to the sea. Indigenous practices begin locally but ripple across the world globally.

By coming together as a global community in support of our ancestral waters, we can shape lasting systemic change through law, policy, economics, and management practices that are centered on Indigenous values and perspectives. 

A Meeting of Sacred Waters brings people together to connect, build relationships and exchange ideas for healing our ancestral waters. We will:

• Highlight the interconnectedness between the wellbeing of humanity and the environment.
• Share examples of Indigenous-led guardianship, stewardship, and management practices.
• Provide a space to engage, exchange, and explore new ideas.
• Explore pathways for Indigenous-led systems change. 

Stewardship topics to be explored at the gathering:

Remembering the Past Into the Present

This year’s theme is inspired by the image provided by Pueblo of Isleta Yonan Cultural Center of the Rio Grande River. While we cannot go back to the past, the Rio Grande River flowing in its full expression must be the vision. Remembering and reactivating ancestral knowledge — carrying the wisdom of our ancestors as a compass for future action — is the way forward.