It is a common belief that towns like St. Augustine or Jamestown represent the oldest continuously inhabited towns in the United States. Official statistics are based on legal and municipal definitions, and can be misleading. As such, Native American settlements and communities are often left out of lists of the oldest towns in the United States.Many Native American settlements go back many hundreds of years, and in some cases over a millennium, long before Europeans reached the shores of the New World. Here are 5 of the oldest continuously inhabited towns within the current borders of the United States that were founded by Americas original inhabitants.A History of Native American Towns and CitiesThe remains of Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. Source: Flickr/Wikimedia Commons.Before Europeans arrived, Native Americans in North America had built some of the grandest cities and civilizations on the planet. Some cities were massive and sprawling, such as Cahokia, which is estimated to have had up to 40,000 residents. This would have been greater than London at the time of Cahokias heyday in the 11th and 12th centuries. Other settlements, such as Mesa Verde, are fascinating from other perspectives. Mesa Verde was built into a cliffside, where a misplaced step could end in a quick death from a sheer drop. Pueblo Bonito was a grand D-shaped town that served as an administrative center for the Chaco culture, and was connected to several smaller sites by an impressive network of engineered roads.These places, and many others, reached their height and declined before the colonization of what is now the United States. Since abandoned, these cities can no longer be considered for the distinction of being the oldest on the list, yet their legacy is one that deserves attention.For many inhabitants of the following places, the story of their town is one of resilience and survival in the face of overwhelming pressure from the outside world. As such, they have justifiably shied away from mass tourism and the commodification of their world. These places are not just homes. They are sacred spaces that deserve respect.1. Acoma Pueblo, New MexicoAcoma Pueblo. Source: Flickr/Wikimedia Commons.Although exact dates of founding are difficult to determine, Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico is considered by many to be the oldest continuously inhabited town within the current borders of the United States.Located 60 miles west of Albuquerque, four communities make up the Acoma Pueblo. Old Acoma (Sky City) is by far the oldest and is located on a mesa that rises over 350 feet above the surrounding land. The other communities at the foot of this mesa are Acomita, Anzac, and McCartys. Together, these communities have a total of over 3,000 inhabitants, with only around 50 people living permanently in Old Acoma above. Despite its low population, there are around 300 two- and three-story buildings which constitute the town of Old Acoma.A street in Acoma Pueblo. Source: Flickr/Wikimedia Commons.According to the Acoma people, the town has been inhabited since the 11th century, and the unique location on top of a mesa offered significant defense, protecting the community from hostile Navajo and Apache people. Through the ages, the town survived contact with the Spanish, massacres, smallpox epidemics, and loss of culture due to European interference. Yet the people remain, and continue to live in this site of immense historical importance.2. Old Oraibi, ArizonaA street in Old Oraibi, ca. 1898. Source: Wikimedia Commons.Dating back to its founding, possibly before 1100 CE, Old Oraibi in Arizona is also sometimes cited as the oldest settlement in the United States. It is speculated that the settlement was a point of consolidation for the Hopi people, who, during severe droughts in the 13th century, abandoned their surrounding settlements and congregated in Old Oraibi, driving the settlements continued habitation.Terraced houses in Old Oraibi, 1898. Source: USC Digital Library/Wikimedia Commons.Contact with Europeans began with the Spanish in 1540, and later the Americans. Contact was rare until the mid-19th century, when missionaries and traders became more common in the area. Like many of the Native Americans, the Hopi suffered from kidnappings and forced cultural conversion. While some were receptive to foreign influences, others were not, and this caused a split, resulting in the expulsion of the traditionalists who left and founded the village of Hotevilla. Many of those receptive to outside influence had also left Old Oraibi and settled in Kykotsmovi Village, also referred to as New Oraibi, to be close to the trading post and school. As a result, Old Oraibi had a greatly diminished population, but continued to be inhabited to the present day.Over the decades, many of those accepting of outside influence returned to traditional ways. Today, the town is home to, by some sources, fewer than 100 people. They are wary of tourists and dont allow photography within the town, most of which lies in ruins.3. Taos Pueblo, New MexicoTaos Pueblo. Source: Flickr/Wikimedia Commons.Located in north-central New Mexico, and one mile north of the town of Taos, Taos Pueblo is a Native American town originally built between 1000 and 1450, also making it a contender for the oldest continuously inhabited town in the United States.In pre-Columbian times, Taos Pueblo was a significant point of trade between the Native Americans along the Rio Grande and their neighbors, the Plains Tribes to the northeast. First contact with Europeans began with the arrival of the Spanish, who discovered the settlement while searching for the rumored Seven Cities of Gold. In 1620, Spanish missionaries built a church in Taos Pueblo, much to the distaste of the inhabitants, who resisted Spanish missionary efforts at conversion. In 1640, they killed the resident priest in one of many acts connected to the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.After the United States took control of New Mexico in 1846, the people of Taos Pueblo were equally fearful of American control as they were of the Spanish before, and in 1847, they joined Hispanos in a revolt against US governance, resulting in Governor Charles Bent being shot with arrows and scalped by Taos Puebloans. The US response was equally violent, and Taos Pueblo was shelled with artillery, and many of its residents were killed.The graveyard and the ruins of the original church, built by Spanish missionaries in 1620. Source: Wikimedia Commons.Land connected with the Taos Pueblo was stolen by the United States government, and only returned to Native American custody in 1970, with a small remainder being returned in 1996. The village itself is a series of interconnected adobe houses, built in close proximity and on top of each other. The Taos people who live there are naturally cautious of outside influences, but they value courtesy and hospitality, and thus are welcoming of strangers.In 2020, a US census cited the population as 1,196, although the Taos Pueblo site states that only around 150 people live in the historical pueblo full-time. The current population figure is 1,900 enrolled tribal members living on the tribal lands.Conservation of the Taos Pueblo is of concern, and the US government has been responsive to the needs of the inhabitants. In recent years, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development has provided financial support to the town for preservation. Ongoing maintenance of the village and the restoration of its structures are of prime importance, as aspects of the village, its people, and its culture are endangered.4. Zuni Pueblo, New MexicoZuni Pueblo Visitor Center. Source: Flickr/Wikimedia Commons.Today, the town of Zuni Pueblo includes the remnants of several pre-Columbian village sites, one of which was Halona: Idiwana, the site of which forms the historic core of the town of Zuni Pueblo. These villages were abandoned during the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, and the town of Zuni Pueblo was consolidated in 1692 at the site of Halona: Idiwana, and has been continuously inhabited ever since.The center of Zuni, New Mexico. Source: Google Earth.Located within the Zuni Indian Reservation in McKinley County in the far west of New Mexico, the Zuni Pueblo Census-designated place is home to a population of over 6000 people, over 97 percent of whom are Native American. It is the geographic and cultural center of the Zuni people, and is an important hub of Zuni art, which includes pottery, stone fetish carving, painting, and jewellery design, among others.The town is welcoming of visitors, and many events are open to the public; however, like other communities of this nature, strict etiquette and respect are required. Zuni Pueblo is on the Trail of the Ancients Byway, which is one of New Mexicos Scenic Byways, known for its natural beauty or historic significance.5. Tesuque PuebloPueblo Tesuque No.2 by George Bellows, 1917. Source: Wikimedia Commons.Located at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains in northern New Mexico, the Pueblo of Tesuque has existed since 1200. Its name is a Spanish variation of the original Tewa name, Tetsugeh, meaning village of the narrow place of the cottonwood trees, and is situated on 17,000 acres of tribal land, which teems with wildlife and natural beauty.The original site was abandoned during the Pueblo Revolt and reoccupied from 1694. According to the Tesuque Pueblo site, the town is home to around 800 residents and is one of the smallest pueblos in the state. This population is split between Tribal members and people living in the exterior regions of Tesuques land grant.Access to the historic center of Tesuque Pueblo is variable and conditional, as a priority is placed on traditional culture. There are many tribal enterprises that are open to the public, including a casino which offers stunning views of the surroundings.Camel Rock, near Tesuque Pueblo. Source: Wikimedia Commons.Like many other Native American settlements in the United States, all these places have deep roots in a history filled with challenges brought from the outside world. They are not simply tourist spots or places of interest, but important parts of Native American tradition and legacy.