Jemez denies murder-Halloween connection

Jemez Bans Halloween Tradition

By Jeff ProctorTribal officials have decided to permanently ban the activity at the heart of Halloween, Jemez Gov. Joshua Madalena told the Journal on Wednesday.

The reason is, essentially, two-fold: A bunch of costumed kids walking around poorly-lit, unpaved roads at night is dangerous and, besides that, the custom doesn't fit anywhere in the native spirituality and culture practiced on the pueblo.

"We want to continue to promote our traditional way of life in Jemez Pueblo," Madalena said. "Our day is All Souls Day ... where we pay tribute to our ancestors and our families that have passed on to the other world and ask them to continue to bless us."

No one will be arrested for trick-or-treating, which has been a common activity on Jemez Pueblo through the years, the governor said. But Jemez police and tribal officials will be out to enforce the ban and ask anyone trick-or-treating to go home.Jemez Pueblo calls off Halloween

Critics see link to recent murder

By Jeff ToddThe governor said public safety is the main issue because the rural reservation doesn’t have street lights or sidewalks but does have speeders on State Road 4.

“The tribal council, religious leaders, with their support, we made the decision to end trick-or-treating,” Madalena said.

Some pueblo members disagreed, saying there hadn’t been any accidents since trick-or-treating started on the reservation a few decades ago. While older members of the tribe support the move to get back to cultural roots, some younger generations believe the tribal leadership is making a knee-jerk reaction to a recent murder.

Last month pueblo member Lucas Michael Ray Steven Toledo allegedly killed another pueblo member. Investigators have looked into cult-like behavior from Toledo.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Jemez Cancels Cultish Halloween.