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History of the Pueblo Indians (cont.)

 

 Once again, the Pueblo Indians fell prey to the arid climate and droughts which had driven their ancestors out of the Four Corners region.  This created conflicts between the Native Americans and the Spanish, which led to hostilities between the two groups.  Unfortunately, the Pueblo were outnumbered, and the Spaniards were better equipped with weapons, which resulted in the massacre of many Pueblo Indians, and the subjugation of the tribe.

A few years later, the Pueblos staged another revolt, but once again had to submit to their oppressors.  Two more uprisings against the Spanish followed, and even though some of the Indians had abandoned their villages and relocated into safer areas and built better fortifications around their homes, all ended in defeat for the Pueblos.  By then, missionaries had converted over fifty thousand of  the Native Americans to Christianity, and nearly one hundred villages had Chapels.  The Hopi, and other Western peoples managed to remain independent of Spanish rule.

One interesting fact to point out is the adaptation of Pueblo architecture into the design of the Chapels and Churches; even though Christianity had been adopted by a large majority of the tribe, the churches they built retained certain elements that had been present in their traditional kivas.  One good example of this can be seen at the Isleta Pueblo's St-Augustine Church, one of the oldest mission churches in existence today.

The Pueblo Indians of today have been very much assimilated into American Culture.  However, they still live as they did before,  their economy being dependent on trade and agriculture.  Pueblo blankets and baskets are very popular with tourists visiting the New Mexico area.  However, socio-cultural factors such as poor education and unemployment are taking their toll, and with each new generation, Pueblo Indian tradition is eroding.

Joseph Suina, former Governor of Cohiti Pueblo said in 1998: 

"Right now, we are in a struggle to hang on to our sovereignty. Legislation being proposed in Congress would weaken the sovereignty of Indian tribes. We would like to remind the powers that be that we have been given that sovereignty—as symbolized by the canes presented to us by Spain, Mexico and the United States."

It would be a shame to see one of the oldest, and most impressive of our Native American civilizations become nothing but a mere memory. 

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