The Santa Ana people moved to this area approximately 1250AD. They settled along the Rio Grande River to farm, and the pueblo is located in the middle of Indian trade routes. The Santa Ana were early users of ditch irrigation.
The Santa Ana people are Keresan speaking and there are just over 600 people who live in a new section of the pueblo. The old village has largely been abandoned, although some families use their homes in the old village as a second home. Many of the tribal members have been assimilated into other cultures over the years.