Acoma Massacre
Encyclopedia
The Acoma Massacre, or the Battle of Acoma Pueblo, was fought in January of 1599 between Spanish
conquistador
s and Acoma, or Keres, native American
s of New Mexico
. After the killing of twelve soldiers at Acoma Pueblo
in 1598, the Spanish retaliated and it led to the deaths of around 800 men, women and children during a three day battle. Several hundred survivors were also enslaved or punished in a similar manner.
in northern New Spain
and in 1595 the conquistador Don
Juan de Oñate
was granted permission from King Philip II
to colonize the present day New Mexico, then known as Santa Fé de Nuevo México
. The Spanish first came into contact with the Acoma people around 1540 and for several decades relations were mostly peaceful. Then in 1598 the leader Zutacapan discovered that the Spanish intended to conquer Acoma Pueblo. Initially the natives planned to defend themselves, but the belief that the Spanish were immortal and known to have committed atrocities in the past, led the Acoma to try to negotiate a peaceful solution to the conflict. Accordingly, Don Oñate sent his nephew, Captain Juan de Zaldivar, to the pueblo in order to consult with Zutacapan. It was December of 1598 when Zaldivar arrived and one the first things he did was take sixteen of his men up the mesa
, on which the pueblo was located, to demand food from some of the natives. The Spaniards were denied the food they had demanded and they allegedly attacked some Acoma women. A fight then ensued, leaving Zaldivar and eleven of his men dead. When Don Oñate learned of the incident, he ordered Juan de Zaldivar's brother, Vincente de Zaldivar, to launch a punitive expedition
against the Acoma. Taking about 70 men, Vincente de Zaldivar left San Juan Pueblo
in late December or early January and arrived at Acoma Pueblo on January 21, 1599.
. So on the third day Zalvidar and twelve of his men ascended the mesa and opened fire on the pueblo with the cannon. After some time several Acoma homes caught on fire and were destroyed while the conquistadors stormed through the settlement. There was an estimated 6,000 natives living at or around the Acoma Pueblo in 1599, at least 2,000 of whom were warrior
s. Of the 2,000, about 500 were killed in the battle with about 300 women and children. Some 500 prisoners were also taken and later sentenced to a variety of punishments. Don Oñate ordered that every male above the age of twenty-five would have their right foot cut off and be enslaved for a period of twenty years. However, only twenty-four men actually received amputations. Males between the age of twelve and twenty-five were also enslaved for twenty years along with all of the females above the age of twelve. Many of these natives were dispersed among the residences of government officials or at Jesuit missions. Sixty of the youngest women were deemed not guilty and then sent to Mexico City
where they were "parceled out among Catholic convents." Two Hopi
men were taken prisoner at the pueblo, both had one of their hands cut off and then released to spread the word of Spain's resolve.
, and the punishments, Don Oñate was banished from New Mexico, for his cruelty towards the natives, and he later returned to Spain to live out the remainder of his life. Several Acomas escaped capture by the Spanish in 1599 and by 1601 they had rebuilt their pueblo which still stands today. The massacre remains a sensitive issue in the United States. In 1998, during the 400 year anniversary of Spain's founding of New Mexico colony, a group of Acomas cut off the right foot of Don Oñate's twelve-foot statue in Alcalde, New Mexico
. They later issued a statement about the incident: "We took the liberty of removing Oñate's right foot on behalf of our brothers and sister of Acoma Pueblo. ... We see no glory in celebrating Oñate's fourth centennial, and we do not want our faces rubbed in it." One Acoma man, named Darrell Chino, said; "It was funny when it happened to the statue, but it wasn't funny when it happened to the real people." At the Oñate Monument and Visitors Center, Estevan Arrellano, then the director of the site, supervised the attachment of a new foot to the statue. He later said: "Give me a break – it was 400 years ago. It's okay to hold a grudge, but for 400 years?" On April 21, 2007, an eighteen foot tall statue of Don Oñate was erected at El Paso
and is the largest bronze equestrian statue in the United States. Members of the Acoma tribe attended the dedication ceremony and protested against the statue's construction.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
s and Acoma, or Keres, native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
s of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. After the killing of twelve soldiers at Acoma Pueblo
Acoma Pueblo
Acoma Pueblo is a Native American pueblo approximately 60 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico in the United States. Three reservations make up Acoma Pueblo: Sky City , Acomita, and McCartys. The Acoma Pueblo tribe is a federally recognized tribal entity...
in 1598, the Spanish retaliated and it led to the deaths of around 800 men, women and children during a three day battle. Several hundred survivors were also enslaved or punished in a similar manner.
Background
In the late 1500s the Spanish began their conquest of the Pueblo peoplePueblo people
The Pueblo people are a Native American people in the Southwestern United States. Their traditional economy is based on agriculture and trade. When first encountered by the Spanish in the 16th century, they were living in villages that the Spanish called pueblos, meaning "towns". Of the 21...
in northern New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
and in 1595 the conquistador Don
Don (honorific)
Don, from Latin dominus, is an honorific in Spanish , Portuguese , and Italian . The female equivalent is Doña , Dona , and Donna , abbreviated "Dª" or simply "D."-Usage:...
Juan de Oñate
Juan de Oñate
Don Juan de Oñate y Salazar was a Spanish explorer, colonial governor of the New Spain province of New Mexico, and founder of various settlements in the present day Southwest of the United States.-Biography:...
was granted permission from King Philip II
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
to colonize the present day New Mexico, then known as Santa Fé de Nuevo México
Santa Fe de Nuevo México
Santa Fe de Nuevo México was a province of New Spain and later Mexico that existed from the late 16th century up through the mid-19th century. It was centered on the upper valley of the Rio Grande , in an area that included most of the present-day U.S. state of New Mexico...
. The Spanish first came into contact with the Acoma people around 1540 and for several decades relations were mostly peaceful. Then in 1598 the leader Zutacapan discovered that the Spanish intended to conquer Acoma Pueblo. Initially the natives planned to defend themselves, but the belief that the Spanish were immortal and known to have committed atrocities in the past, led the Acoma to try to negotiate a peaceful solution to the conflict. Accordingly, Don Oñate sent his nephew, Captain Juan de Zaldivar, to the pueblo in order to consult with Zutacapan. It was December of 1598 when Zaldivar arrived and one the first things he did was take sixteen of his men up the mesa
Mesa
A mesa or table mountain is an elevated area of land with a flat top and sides that are usually steep cliffs. It takes its name from its characteristic table-top shape....
, on which the pueblo was located, to demand food from some of the natives. The Spaniards were denied the food they had demanded and they allegedly attacked some Acoma women. A fight then ensued, leaving Zaldivar and eleven of his men dead. When Don Oñate learned of the incident, he ordered Juan de Zaldivar's brother, Vincente de Zaldivar, to launch a punitive expedition
Punitive expedition
A punitive expedition is a military journey undertaken to punish a state or any group of persons outside the borders of the punishing state. It is usually undertaken in response to perceived disobedient or morally wrong behavior, but may be also be a covered revenge...
against the Acoma. Taking about 70 men, Vincente de Zaldivar left San Juan Pueblo
Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico
Ohkay Owingeh is a pueblo and census designated place in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. Its elevation is and it is located at . One of its boundaries is contiguous with Española, about north of Santa Fe....
in late December or early January and arrived at Acoma Pueblo on January 21, 1599.
Massacre
The battle began on the following morning of January 22 and for the first two days the Spanish and Acoma skirmished until Zaldivar concocted a plan to breach the pueblo using a small cannonCannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
. So on the third day Zalvidar and twelve of his men ascended the mesa and opened fire on the pueblo with the cannon. After some time several Acoma homes caught on fire and were destroyed while the conquistadors stormed through the settlement. There was an estimated 6,000 natives living at or around the Acoma Pueblo in 1599, at least 2,000 of whom were warrior
Warrior
A warrior is a person skilled in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based society that recognizes a separate warrior class.-Warrior classes in tribal culture:...
s. Of the 2,000, about 500 were killed in the battle with about 300 women and children. Some 500 prisoners were also taken and later sentenced to a variety of punishments. Don Oñate ordered that every male above the age of twenty-five would have their right foot cut off and be enslaved for a period of twenty years. However, only twenty-four men actually received amputations. Males between the age of twelve and twenty-five were also enslaved for twenty years along with all of the females above the age of twelve. Many of these natives were dispersed among the residences of government officials or at Jesuit missions. Sixty of the youngest women were deemed not guilty and then sent to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
where they were "parceled out among Catholic convents." Two Hopi
Hopi
The Hopi are a federally recognized tribe of indigenous Native American people, who primarily live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. The Hopi area according to the 2000 census has a population of 6,946 people. Their Hopi language is one of the 30 of the Uto-Aztecan language...
men were taken prisoner at the pueblo, both had one of their hands cut off and then released to spread the word of Spain's resolve.
Aftermath
When King Philip heard the news of the massacreMassacre
A massacre is an event with a heavy death toll.Massacre may also refer to:-Entertainment:*Massacre , a DC Comics villain*Massacre , a 1932 drama film starring Richard Barthelmess*Massacre, a 1956 Western starring Dane Clark...
, and the punishments, Don Oñate was banished from New Mexico, for his cruelty towards the natives, and he later returned to Spain to live out the remainder of his life. Several Acomas escaped capture by the Spanish in 1599 and by 1601 they had rebuilt their pueblo which still stands today. The massacre remains a sensitive issue in the United States. In 1998, during the 400 year anniversary of Spain's founding of New Mexico colony, a group of Acomas cut off the right foot of Don Oñate's twelve-foot statue in Alcalde, New Mexico
Alcalde, New Mexico
Alcalde is a census-designated place in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 377 at the 2000 census. "Alcalde" literally means "Mayor" in Spanish.-Geography:...
. They later issued a statement about the incident: "We took the liberty of removing Oñate's right foot on behalf of our brothers and sister of Acoma Pueblo. ... We see no glory in celebrating Oñate's fourth centennial, and we do not want our faces rubbed in it." One Acoma man, named Darrell Chino, said; "It was funny when it happened to the statue, but it wasn't funny when it happened to the real people." At the Oñate Monument and Visitors Center, Estevan Arrellano, then the director of the site, supervised the attachment of a new foot to the statue. He later said: "Give me a break – it was 400 years ago. It's okay to hold a grudge, but for 400 years?" On April 21, 2007, an eighteen foot tall statue of Don Oñate was erected at El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
and is the largest bronze equestrian statue in the United States. Members of the Acoma tribe attended the dedication ceremony and protested against the statue's construction.