Descriptive Catalogue of Photographs of North American IndiansJackson, William Henry
History
Descriptive Catalogue of Photographs of North American Indians
Jackson, William Henry
Indians of North America -- Biography; Indians of North America -- Portraits -- Catalogs
A general name applied by the Spaniards to several tribes of
semi-civilized Indians in what is now New Mexico. The term _pueblo_, in
Spanish, literally means the _people_ and their _towns_. They were first
visited by Cabeza de Vaca in 1537, who conveyed the first authentic
account of their villages to Mexico, which resulted, in 1540, in the
expedition of Coronado. As nearly as can be ascertained at the present
time, he visited and subdued the Pueblos in the neighborhood of Zuni,
along the Rio Grande, and the Moqui of the province of Tusayan; but only
occupied the country two years. Were finally subdued in 1586, and the
Spanish retained uninterrupted control, with the exception of the period
of the insurrection of 1680, until the cession of the territory to the
United States in 1847. At the time of Coronado's visit they were as
advanced as now, raising grain, vegetables, and cotton, and
manufacturing fine blankets. Their houses are sometimes built of stone,
but generally of adobe; are several stories in height--three to five
usually--each one receding from the one below, leaving a terrace or
walk. The general plan is a hollow square, although in some cases they
are built in a solid mass, like a pyramid, six or eight stories in
height. In each pueblo there are large rooms, sometimes under ground,
for religious observances or councils, called in Spanish, _estufas_. The
towns are sometimes built upon the summits of high terraces or _mesas_,
extremely difficult of approach.
The Pueblos constitute several tribes, with different languages; some
are now extinct; but those existing are the Zunis; Toltos in Taos, with
whom are classed the people of Picuris, the Sandia, and Isleta; the
Tiguas in San Juan, Santa Clara, Nambe, San Ildefonso, Pojuaque, and
Tesuque; (the Moquis of pueblo of Te'-wa are said to speak this
language); the Queres in Cochite, San Domingo, San Filipe, Santa Ana,
Zia, Laguna, and Acoma; the Jemez, in the pueblo of the same name. In
the 19 pueblos named there are now estimated to be 8,400 people, the
most populous being Zuni, with some 1,500 souls, and the least,
Pojuaque, numbering only some 30 or 40 persons. Were recognized as
citizens under Mexican rule, but since the admission of New Mexico the
matter has been left in doubt. In 1858, Government confirmed to them the
old Spanish grants of the land the Pueblos cultivate, averaging about
twelve square leagues to each pueblo. They retain their own form of
government, each village electing a governor, and a council consisting
of three old men. Have been under Catholic influence since the Spanish
conquest; but in the division of the tribes among the religious
denominations, the Pueblos were first assigned to the Baptists, and
afterward to the Presbyterians, who are now actively engaged in
establishing schools among them.
_List of illustrations._
1015. NA-NA-AN-YE. _A al Metor de la Sierra._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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