oval ▁County ▁and ▁northern ▁Bern al illo ▁County , ▁at ▁. ▁It ▁is ▁bounded ▁by ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Al bu quer que ▁to ▁the ▁south ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁fo oth ills ▁of ▁the ▁Sand ia ▁Mountains , ▁a ▁land form ▁the ▁people ▁hold ▁sacred ▁and ▁which ▁was ▁central ▁to ▁the ▁traditional ▁economy ▁and ▁remains ▁important ▁in ▁the ▁spiritual ▁life ▁of ▁the ▁community , ▁to ▁the ▁east . ▁A ▁for ested ▁area ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁bos que ▁surr ounds ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁res ervation , ▁and ▁serves ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁fire wood ▁and ▁wild ▁game . ▁A ▁resident ▁population ▁of ▁ 4 , 4 1 4 ▁was ▁reported ▁as ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁census . ▁Two ▁communities ▁located ▁on ▁its ▁territory ▁are ▁P ue blo ▁of ▁Sand ia ▁Village ▁and ▁part ▁( pop ulation ▁ 3 , 2 3 5 ) ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁of ▁Bern al illo . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Congress ▁passed ▁the ▁Sand ia ▁P ue blo ▁S ett lement ▁Techn ical ▁Am end ment ▁Act ▁( S . ▁ 6 1 1 ; ▁ 1 1 3 th ▁Congress ). ▁by ▁which ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁would ▁transfer ▁ 7 0 0 ▁acres ▁of ▁land ▁to ▁the ▁Sand ia ▁P ue blo . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Anti qu ity ▁ ▁The ▁P ue blo ▁culture ▁developed ▁from ▁ 7 0 0 – 1 1 0 0 , ▁character ized ▁by ▁its ▁distinct ive ▁religious ▁belief s ▁and ▁practices