From Casino to Studio: A Native American Tribe Bets Big on Hollywood

In 2018, the Tesuque Pueblo, a small Native American tribe based outside Santa Fe, New Mexico, was trying to decide what to do with their old casino. The tribe had built a new, updated gaming facility, and their economic development board was considering converting their 1950s-era casino lot into a water park, a ropes course or a glamping destination. Another, almost offhand suggestion the group entertained was opening a movie studio.

By Rebecca Keegan

Mark Mitchell (left), former governor of the Tesuque Pueblo, and Roman Duran, chair of the tribe’s advisory committee for its new studio, Camel Rock, outside a set used for the AMC show Dark Winds. PHOTOGRAPHED BY DAMON CASAREZ