White] THE PUEBLO OF SIA, NEW MEXICO 47 
PETS; FLOWERS 
The Sia have many dogs. Most of them are nondescript mongrels, 
but there were a number of emaciated whippets, or greyhounds, 
during the 1940’s and 1950’s. There are virtually no cats in Sia. 
No caged birds are kept as pets; eagles are occasionally captured and 
kept in cages for their feathers. There has been no parrot in Sia 
for many years, although there used to be one. The Sia do not keep 
potted plants in their houses, as many of their Mexican neighbors do, 
nor raise flowers or other ornamental plants in gardens, 
THE PUEBLO ITSELF 
The village is built upon a knoll about 250 feet above the Jemez 
River and is reached by a steep climb from the river (pl. 2). The 
knoll is covered with a profusion of basaltic, or scoriaceous, boulders 
ranging in size from a few inches in diameter to 3 feet or more. These 
boulders and stones of other material have been much used in the past 
in the construction of houses, and ruins of former houses are to be 
seen on almost every hand (see Stevenson, 1894, pl. i). The longer 
axis of the pueblo runs approximately north and south (fig. 8). Most 
of the houses are grouped around two plazas. In recent years there 
has been a tendency to build dwellings east of the church, and also 
down the hill toward the schoolhouse. 
HOUSES 
The construction and design of houses at Sia are much like those 
of other pueblos in the region, except that stone and basaltic boulders, 
rather than adobe bricks, are used to a greater extent in Sia than 
elsewhere. In 1881, according to Bourke, only one house was two 
stories high (Bloom, 1938, p. 223). In 1923, all houses were of one 
story (Halseth, 1924 b, p. 67) as they are today. Bourke found that 
windows were of selenite ‘in every house except one or two of the 
newest”? (Bloom, 1938, p. 222). In 1957, virtually all houses were 
equipped with windows and doors purchased from the white man’s 
stores, and many were supplied with screens. 
The typical house has three rooms. ‘The general living room often 
contains beds. In some households meals are eaten in this room; in 
others they are eaten in another room where they are cooked. Some- 
times there is a room, usually a smaller one, that is used almost 
exclusively for storage. Most houses in 1957 were furnished, in 
ereater or lesser amounts, with furniture and other equipment acquired 
from the white man’s stores. Most dwellings have a cookstove, but 
use old-style fireplaces for heating. Trunks are widely used for 
storage, but they have been supplemented by modern furniture in 
some instances. Walls, especially of the living room, are decorated 
