Manso Indians. A Spanish word meaning “mild.” Also called:
- Gorretas, by Zarate-Salmeron.
- Lanos, by Perea (1632-33).
Manso Connections. The Manso belonged to the Tanoan division of the Kiowa-Tanoan linguistic stock.
Manso Location. About Mesilla Valley, in the vicinity of the present Las Cruces, N. Mex. The mission of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de los Mansos was founded among them but none of the native names of their villages are known.
Manso History. Shortly before the appearance of the Spaniards in their country, the Manso lived in substantial houses like the Pueblo Indians generally but changed these to dwellings of reeds and wood. They were relocated at a spot near El Paso in 1659 by Fray Garcia de San Francisco, who established the above-mentioned mission among them. The remnant of the Manso are now associated in one town with the Tiwa and Piro.
Population. In 1668, when the mission of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de los Mansos was dedicated, Vetancourt states that it contained upward of 1,000 parishioners. Very few of Manso blood remain.
