Join us in celebrating the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center’s 50th anniversary through the stories, knowledge, and voices found in 50 special books from the IPCC Library collection. This curated selection features titles for readers of all ages and interests, offering meaningful ways to explore, honor, and celebrate Pueblo culture.
Each week, for the remainder of 2026, we will spotlight one or two featured titles. The selected books are available to view in the IPCC Library Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
The Four Sisters: Keeping Family Traditions Alive, Recipes from The Pueblo
By Norma Naranjo
Food connects us. When we gather in break rooms, school cafeterias, or for a quick bite at the nearest fast-food chain, we’re briefly stopping to provide our bodies with quick nourishment and energy. Conversations and meals are short as we rush to continue our day. But there is something remarkable that happens when you gather in a kitchen. We are given the opportunity to linger. The kitchen acts much like the heart of the home. It’s where we come to honor those before us by making a favorite recipe passed down for generations. It’s where we find a pot bubbling over with a comforting smell that turns a day that’s only been wrong into a day that ends right. It’s in the kitchen where we are called to join together to recount the day. We pause to celebrate our wins and commiserate over our losses, all while building traditions and lore that will be told about those we love over and over; stories becoming tied to that one meal, that special dish, or the smell coming from behind the oven door.
This week, in celebration of our 50th anniversary, the IPCC Library is highlighting The Four Sisters: Keeping Family Traditions Alive, Recipes from The Pueblo by Norma Naranjo. This book invites readers to pull up a chair, linger in the kitchen a little longer, and reflect on the ways food carries family stories, cultural memory, and tradition.
Norma, along with her husband, Hutch, lives outside of Española on the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, where they work as farmers, ranchers, and business owners. After retiring from social work in 1999, Norma founded The Feasting Place as a catering business focused on the culinary tradition of her Pueblo. Based in her own home, Norma offers classes where students learn to work with traditional dough and cook using an horno, as well as catered lunches and dinners featuring authentic Pueblo food and recipes. It’s many of these recipes that you will find in Norma’s book, The Four Sisters.
This collection of recipes is divided into sections by season, taking advantage of natural growing cycles and harvesting times. Norma begins each section with personal recollections of her time growing up in Ohkay Owingeh, including memories of her family and of the food that was prepared. From Norma’s horno bread recipe to directions on how to make your own chico stew, you will find something tantalizing on each page that beckons you to tie on your apron and linger awhile in your own kitchen at home.
The IPCC Library is also thrilled to announce that we are hosting a special event with Norma Naranjo as part of our Pueblo Book Club program this month! Norma will be joining us on Saturday, September 19th at 10AM to share the family stories behind her recipes and provide hands-on instruction on how to make fruit empanadas. Space will be very limited for this incredible experience, so you will want to secure your spot right away! Please call the IPCC front desk at (505) 843-7270, or send your RSVP by email to either RArellano@indianpueblo.org or bandler@indianpueblo.com to register for this event. Can't make it on the 19th? Not to worry; copies of Norma’s book will be available to purchase in the Indian Pueblo Store here at the Cultural Center. Be sure to pick one up and spend some time lingering in your own kitchen creating memories for those you love.
We invite you to take some time to explore the recipes you can find in this book or one of the many other cookbooks available in the IPCC Library.
