Life under the Spanish
Explanation: The Pueblo people of New Mexico are thought to have descended from the Ancient Pueblos. The Ancient Pueblos lived in what is now New Mexico from about CE 100 to 1600. They lived in villages that each had their own government. The heads of religious societies made up the councils that governed each village. But in 1539, Marcos de Niza claimed the region for Spain. When Francisco Vazquez de Coronado explored the area in 1540, he made it clear to its inhabitants that they would now be ruled by Spain.
Destruction and Oppression
New Mexico was officially colonized by Spain in 1598. This began decades of oppression by the Spanish. The Pueblo peoples had followed their own religion for hundreds of years. Now they were forced to give up their religions. They were forced to practice Christianity instead. They were also forced to pay tribute to Spanish rulers. This didn’t just mean that they were to honor the Spanish rulers, but that they were to actually pay the Spanish rulers.
The Pueblos built multistory homes, mostly using adobe bricks. These homes were attached to each other. They were almost like a modern-day apartment building. In the courtyards of these buildings were the traditional centers of worship, called kivas. Kivas were underground and only used by men. The Spanish destroyed the kivas by burning them. They also burned their sacred masks and sacred objects. Resisting the Spanish rule was difficult. The Pueblo people were tried in Spanish courts. The punishments they received included hanging, whipping, and even amputation. The Spanish would brutally cut off the hands or feet of the accused. They were also often forced into slavery.
Revolt
Beginning in 1645, several revolts began against the Spanish. None of the early revolts were successful. The Pueblo people were angered by their treatment. They longed for their former lives of political and religious independence. After each of these smaller revolts, medicine men, in particular, were punished. One was a medicine man named Popé. He had been accused of practicing witchcraft. The Spanish also believed he had killed missionaries. The Spanish imprisoned him.
After Popé was released from prison, he organized a revolt against the Spanish. He coordinated with almost all of the Pueblo tribes. They planned to attack Santa Fe, which was the Spanish capital. Planning took place secretly during the summer of 1680. On the night of August 10, 1680, the Spanish were attacked and nearly 500 people were killed. In the following days, two-thirds of the Catholic priests in the region were killed. The Pueblo kept up the attack for 10 days. Nearly 1,000 residents fled to El Paso. The revolt took control of the Spanish capital. Popé removed any trace of Spanish culture in the pueblos.
Pueblo Culture
The Pueblo set up their own government after the revolt. They also went back to practicing their own religion. The Spanish reclaimed authority in 1692. But there was a major difference this time. The Spanish were forced to allow the Pueblo to practice their own religions. Their culture was not wiped out like it had been when the Spanish first took over. The Pueblo people found a more peaceful existence under Spanish rule after the revolt. They followed parts of Spanish culture and rule that were necessary for their survival. But they kept the major traditions and ideas of their own culture. This is still true of Pueblo culture to this day.
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