Native American Archives – Page 43 of 341

San Felipe Pueblo

At my first visit to San Felipe I was denied entrance to the pueblo, owing to a secret dance which was in progress. The next day, coming on invitation, I found the council of principals already assembled and anxious to make amends for the inhospitable treatment of the day before. We discussed 2 large tracts of land, each available for cultivation, one needing an extension of the acequia and the other a boom in the river, Upon leaving the line of San Domingo, along which every foot was cultivated, one enters a tract of the same sort of land, 2,500 … Read more

Santa Ana Pueblo

One leaves Zia to follow the Jemez River directly east toward the Sandia range of mountains. The soil from this point rapidly becomes sandy and untillable, and at Santa Ana, 9 miles below, it is entirely unproductive. The inhabitants of this town have long since abandoned it as a place of slimmer abode, and use it only for autumn and winter residence. The town is built upon 2 streets running parallel with the river, and out its bank a single cottonwood tree is the only one seen in a range of many miles. Half a mile back of the town, … Read more

Zia Pueblo

Approached from any direction the little town of Zia stands forth boldly against the sky, a low line of gray white buildings capping the stony promontory, which rises abruptly from the river to the height of 250 feet, and finds its connection with the mesa beyond in a narrow ridge to the north. The church of the Jesuits, occupying the highest site, is not large, but built for a much larger population than is to be found here. Evidences of shrinkage are everywhere apparent in the ruined foundations of houses long since deserted, as well as in the dilapidation of … Read more

Jemez Pueblo

The village of Jemez is situated at the mouth of one of the most romantic, canyons of New Mexico. Just above, the northern boundary of the pueblo grant the walls of the mesa on either side rise suddenly to a height of 1,900 feet. The remains of the ancient pueblo of Jemez are still seen 13 miles above, and upon the mesas between that and Jemez appear the ruins or more recent pueblos, built by insurrectionary communities. Approaching from the terminus of the valley, which penetrates the mountains for many miles, we cross the Viaceta Creek, dry in sunnier, and … Read more

Cochiti Pueblo

Cochiti has an extremely favorable site. It times the river at a height of 95 feet and is surrounded on 3 sides by tillable plains. The buildings in the town, 50 in number, are generally separated, not more than 3 dwellings being contiguous. The larger portion are of 1 story. Bight Mexican families dwell here and fraternize with the Indians. As long ago as 1820 the Mexicans acquired land here. They are regarded as under the jurisdiction of the pueblo, and perform communal work upon irrigating ditches and roads by command of the governor of the tribe. This community has … Read more

San Domingo Pueblo

This pueblo touches Cochiti on the north and San Felipe on the south, where its line runs at an angle of 50 degrees with the river and invades the square northern comers of the latter. Its population of nearly 1,000, is industrious and utilizes all available land. Hundreds of acres, however, are wasted in the riverbed, as they are unwilling to risk crops upon it. An island overgrown by cottonwood trees serves no other purpose than that of a great park for the pueblo. Including this and the river bed, which varies from 1.5 to 1 mile wide, there are … Read more

Nambe Pueblo

Nambe is found by following the bed of the Pojoaque River for three miles after leaving the government road. Its difficulty of access causes it to be rarely visited, The hills surrounding it to the north and east are fast crumbling by disintegration, showing some of the best sculptured forms of geological structure to be seen among the pueblos. The town is situated at the intersection of a small stream with the Pojoaque River, affording an unfailing supply of water and abundant crops. The population numbers 79, with farms covering about 300 acres. There are 20 landholders, the largest having … Read more

Tesuque Pueblo

One approaches Tesuque, situated on the left bank of the river of that name, over a road winding through small orchards fenced by an abatis of cedar boughs driven into the ground, while apple and peach trees tangle their branches overhead. Small patches of wheat and corn lie on either side of the road. The village is built about a quadrangle 240 feet long by 150 feet broad. The houses are mostly of 2 stories. The Catholic Church is small and in a neglected condition. Methods of farming are crude. Both wooden and steel plows are used. Corn is planted … Read more

Pojoaque Pueblo

The grant to this pueblo originally contained 13,520 acres. Owing to shrinkage in population the inhabitants have parted with most of their land. At present they have but 25 acres. The pueblo, situated a mile east of the junction of the Pojoaque and Tesuque Rivers, contains 20 persons, They have been in litigation for 4 years with two Mexicans who have settled on the river a mile below the village. This land was not farmed by the Pueblos. The Mexicans therefore appropriated it. The governor says he has wasted much time at count during harvest season over this ease. He … Read more

San Ildefonso Pueblo

Santa Clara’s neighbor on the south is San Ildefonso. The village lies on the opposite side of the river, 5 miles below, and at the intersection of Pojoaque River, which meets the Rio Grande at right angles from the east. The dwellings are built upon a large, well kept plaza of rectangular shape, and the only plaza in the pueblos having shade trees. From this center the buildings are found variously placed. Close to it on the acequia are several Mexican houses and in the fields at a distance several others. Inquiries developed the fact that years ago these families … Read more

Santa Clara Pueblo

Santa Clara is poor. The valley which widens toward San Juan closes again on its approach to Santa Clara. The pueblo occupies a site on the right bank of the river at its junction with the canyon. The stream running from this is apt to dry up before the end of the summer. A system of acequias has been constructed here, and corn was planted this year. But little water was flowing daring my visit in the middle of August, and most of the acequias were dry and dusty, The corn was not mature. A reservoir in the canyon would … Read more

San Juan Pueblo

San Juan lies upon the sand dunes, 20 feet above the left bank of the Rio Granule. From this slight elevation the fields stretching to the north, west, and south show by their different colors that a variety of crops is produced. Compared to Taos, the character of San. Juan is more that of it great garden. Crossing the broad acequia, one leaves the arid sands to enter milk verdure. Trim fences of cedar limbs driven into time ground in close line or-dry brush Fastened upon posts with thongs of leather inclose little holdings of half tin acre or more, … Read more

Taos Pueblo

Taos, the most northern of the New Mexican pueblos, lies between the Rio Lucero and Rio Taos. Both streams furnish never failing supplies of water, As a consequence, the crops raised by the Indians are remarkably fine. Corn and wheat are produced in about equal quantities. Fruit and vegetables are rarely seen. The farms range in extent from 9 to 13 acres, though’ some members of the community having large families manage as many as 35 acres, and others variously 30, 24, 18, 16, 10, 8, 6, and 3. These farms yield, when well managed, 30 bushels to the acre. … Read more

Condition of 16 New Mexico Indian Pueblos in 1890

Pack Train Leaving Pueblo Of Taos, New Mexico

The accompanying report covers 15 pueblos of New Mexico, visited in July, August, and September 1890, namely, Taos, San Juan, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, Pojoaque, Tesuque, Nambe, San Domingo, Cochiti, Jemez, Zia, Sandia, Santa Ana, San Felipe, and Isleta, with a report on the pueblo of Picuris. by Mr. Frederick P. Muller, February 26, 1891. A comparison of the population of the Pueblo villages of New Mexico, with the extent of their land tenure, leads naturally to the conclusion that they have an abundant opportunity for subsistence from the ground. With but two or three exceptions, grants of at least … Read more

An Odd People at Home

By Charles P. Lummis “In this view of the ‘Strange Corners’ we ought certainly to include a glimpse at the home life of the Pueblos. A social organization which looks upon children as belonging to the mother and not to the father, which makes it absolutely imperative that husband and wife shall be of different divisions of society, which makes it impossible for a man to own a house, and gives every woman entire control of her home, with many other equally remarkable points of etiquette, is surely different from what most of us are used to; but lathe neglected … Read more

Pueblo Indians of New Mexico and their Customs

Whatever changes have been made in the daily life, manners, and customs of the Pueblos are shown in the reports of the special agents, but change is the exception with these people. Comparing present conditions with the descriptions for 30, 50, or 300 years ago, one finds the Pueblos in many details now about as then. Marriages are performed in some of the pueblos after courtship and are celebrated by a priest when there is one at hand, but the old ceremonies of the Pueblo faith are also performed, either before or after the marriage, by the priest. H. H. … Read more

Jicarilla Apache Reservation

Jicarilla Apaches: Governor and Rulers in the Foreground

Report of Special Agent George B. Meston on the Indians of the Jicarilla Apache reservation, Southern Ute agency, San Juan County, New Mexico, September 1890. Name of Indian tribe occupying said reservation: Jicarilla Apache. The unallotted area of this reservation is 416,000 acres, or 650 square, miles. Partly surveyed. It was established, altered, or changed by executive order of February 11, 1887. Indian population, 1890: 808. Jicarilla Apache Reservation The Jicarilla, Apache reservation is located in northern New Mexico, and joins the southern border line of the southeast corner of the Southern Ute reservation, Colorado, for a distance of 20 … Read more

Mescalero Apache Reservation

The area of New Mexico was acquired by the United States by capture and the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of February 2, 1818, and the Gadsden purchase of December 30, 1853. The Indians discovered therein by the Spaniards in 1539 were the Pueblos, or Towndwellers, along the Rio Grande or on streams tributary to it, the Apaches, in the south and west, some Utes in the north, with occasional foraging parties of Comanches, Pawnees, Sioux, and others. The Texan Indians, including the Lipans (Apaches), frequently roamed the southeastern portion and down into Mexico. The Navajos (Apaches) were the fierce and … Read more

Report on the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico

The report on the 19 pueblos of New Mexico to the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, June 30, 1864, by United States Indian Agent John Ward, after taking the census, is as follows: Much has been written and a great deal more said about the Pueblo Indians, their origin, enigmas, religion, eta., a great portion of which is mere speculation. The Indians have few memorials, if any, to which they can refer for information, while their traditions, from all that can be learned, are rather limited; besides, they have a very imperfect, knowledge of time, distance, or numbers, which readers them … Read more

Condition of the New Mexico Indians in 1890

Map Showing Location of Pueblos in New Mexico

This is an extensive report on the conditions affecting the New Mexico Pueblos in 1890. It provides an interesting look into the culture and life in Pueblo villages at the turn of the Nineteenth Century. It describes the conditions in which the various Pueblo people live: their houses, food, farming, dances, etc.