Early Insurgencies

Questions to consider What did you learn from

Jones that was omitted from your earlier education about this period of history?

In your opinion, why do history books portray colonialist explorers as heroes and Amerindians as violent obstructionists?

Who benefits from the promotion of a limited telling of historical occurrences?

Queries that define our understanding of Jones,

Chapter 2What might we learn from the first conflicts

among Amerindians and colonists?

What guiding principles were the foundation of the participants’ values, thinking, behaviors, practices?

How were the outcomes influenced by faulty observations and assessments?

What lessons derived from this history can be applied to 21st century analysis of social conditions?

Let’s look at the case of Juan de Oñate

Born 1550 in Zacatecas, Mexico

Married Isabel Cortés Moctezuma

By 1570s, he was a military leader who waged campaigns against the Chichimec Indians

Seeking silver in the surrounding areas

Oñate marches north In 1595 Oñate was

sent by King Philip II of Spain to “settle” New Mexico

Mission began in 1598 and Oñate declared the lands Spanish territory named Nuevo Mexico

It was here where his military party of about 600-700 people encountered the Pueblo Indians

About the Pueblo Indians Pueblo is Spanish for

“one who lives in stone buildings”

Ancestors were the Anasazi, Navajo for “ancient ones”

History that traces back 7,000 years

Anasazi moved from being nomads to establishing fixed dwellings

Cultural characteristics of Anasazi

Adobe dwellings, cliffs

Villages had common areas for public events

Pottery making for cookware and storage

Participated in astronomical observation

Developed road systems that lead to natural resources

Anasazi people maintained a matrilocal culture

Married couples lived with or near the parents/family of the wife

When children are born, they are members of the wife’s clan

Children are named by the parents, but the names are provided by the women of the father’s clan

On the 20th day of an infant’s life, the women gather bearing a name and a gift

Sometimes three and four generations lived in close proximity

Men and women might live in separate quarters

Women had the right to divorce their husbands by leaving their belongings outside the home

Women served as leaders within the tribe

Conflict was certain Oñate was unable to mine

much silver for King

One of his captains was accused of theft and rape by the Acoma tribe

The Acomas killed the captain

A three day battle took place with hundreds of Acoma dead and many more severely injured

Oñate punished the Acoma in the following ways…

Men over 25 had one foot cut off and were enslaved for 20 years

Boys between 12 and 25 were enslaved for 20 years

Women over the age of 12 were enslaved for 20 years

60 girls were sent away to Mexico, never to be seen again

Two Hopis who happened to be in the area had their right hands cut off, and were set free to tell the story

Aftermath Oñate continued his

explorations

There was no precious metals

It was difficult terrain

Indians continued to resist colonization

The outpost was abandoned

In 1606, Oñate was summoned by the King to Spain

In 1613, Oñate was fined, banished from the territory we know as New Mexico

He died in Spain in 1626 working as a mining inspector.

A contemporary controversy

Artist proposes largest bronze statue ever created

Public art in El Paso, Texas

Created with $1 million of public money

Installed outside of El Paso airport

Controversy became internationally known

What do you believe should have happened?