ACOMA PRESERVATION GROUP HONORED BY STATE OF NEW MEXICO

May 21, 2003

ACOMA PRESERVATION GROUP HONORED BY STATE OF NEW MEXICO
UNM ARCHITECTURE STUDENT SAYS EXPERIENCE WILL HELP BUILD THESIS

A group working to restore the San Esteban del Rey Mission at Acoma Pueblo has been honored by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs Historic Preservation Division.

The 31st annual Heritage Preservation Awards ceremony was held May 9 at the Scottish Rite Temple in Santa Fe in conjunction with heritage preservation month events.

Department of Cultural Affairs Secretary Ruben Smith presented a 2003 Heritage Preservation Award to William Sarracino and the San Esteban Preservation Crew: Edward Valley, Mario Chavez, Chris Garcia, Edmond Sarracino andCornell Torivio. Dennis and Kate Playdon of Cornerstones were honored for their technical assistance.

The San Esteban del Rey Mission and Convento is the most significant architectural monument within the Pueblo of Acoma, a National Historic Landmark. Its current restoration project, funded by a grant from the "Save America's Treasures" program, has been carried out following strict preservation standards and strikes a balance between tribal culture, preservation methodology and long term maintenance, in unison with the overall planning and conservation process for the Acoma Mission.

The 21,000 square foot building complex receives up to a half million visitors each year who are allowed to see the complex exterior and church interior.

"The survival of the San Esteban del Rey mission in harsh climatic conditions is due not only to the superior quality of construction, but also to the continued attention and maintenance of the structure by the Acoma people throughout its long life span,"Smith said when conferring the award.

Crewmember Edward Valley, a student in the University of New Mexico Master of Architecture Program, will use techniques learned during the project to further develop his master's thesis - an architectural design for a new structure at Acoma that will help preserve a native language.

"I would like to design a language library for the tribe. A lot of the children are losing their native Kerisan language," said Valley, who is active with American Indian and American Institute of Architects student groups at UNM.

Native materials would be used to build the facility and community members would be recruited as volunteer labor, Valley said, noting that he will also incorporate lessons learned when he and William Sarracino traveled to Mexico last year.

"We learned how to use materials and the people there shared ideas about how to preserve our meeting house. We learned how a lime soap base can be used as a mop coat to make material waterproof," Valley said.

"Eddie infuses all aspects of his design work with a strong cultural identity," said Andy Pressman, professor and director of the UNM Architecture Program. "His design agenda includes incorporation of Native American community values: interpreting and translating them to architectural responses. His perspective is of great value."

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