Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-07-03
HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF new MEXICO
Francisco Sanchez Chamuscado and the
Franciscan Missionaries. Fray Frau
cisco Lopez, Fray Juan de San
ia Maria and Fray Agustin
Rodriguez, 1851.


CONTINUED from Saturday June 81
The San Felipe Of 1881 should by no
means be confounded with the San Felipe
of to-day, whereas the latter lies north of
Albuquerque, the former lay far to the
south of it and in the near vicinity of
where is how San Marcial. 1t was, in all
probability, the ancient pueblo called
Qualacu, village Of the Piros, who then
constituted the most southerly branch Of
the Pueblos. 1t is we'll known that the
Piros are, since the uprising of 1850, re-
duced to small hamlet near Ell Paso del
Norte, calledSenecu,. to some descendants
living at Los Lentes and who seem to
have forgotten even the language of their
forefathers, and to few households dis
tributed among other stocks. At the
time of Chamuscado, however, they oc-
cupied at least dozen pueblos in the Rio
Grande valley, between La Joya in the
north and Fort Craig in the south. But
all these villages were small, considerably
smaller than those which, after the Span
ish occupation, were formed around mis-
sion churches. The missionaries sought
to consolidate the unimportant pueblos
into few larger ones and this they did
for two reasons. In the first place it was
their object to unite as many Indians as
possible close to the missions for purposes
of religious instruction, secondly they did
it for protection against the relentless foes,
the Apaches. Hence .he digappariton OF
a number Of pueblos during historic times
and previous to 1850.
The small party of Spaniards was well
received by the Piros. 1t seems that their
insignificant number caused no apprehen-
sions, and further more, that the behavior
of the strangers was such as to inspire
confidence as well as respect, no dishar-
mony interrupted the onward progress Of
the expedition. Slowly they moved up
the river, visiting now and then, here and
there, one Of the small pueblos in sight.
In this manner they at last reached the
vicinity of Bernalillo.
Bernslillo was the region which the
chroniclers of Coronado have called
"Tigue." That name is easy to recog-
nize. 1t applies to the Tigua Indians
which to-day still reside at Sandia and at
Isleta. In the 10th century the Tiguas
occupied about dozen pueblos between
Algodones in the north and the vicinity
of Albuquerque in the south, and few
more pueblos were inhabited by their tribe
about Isleta and south of it. At Ber-
nalillo proper there were two, two more
were inhabited on the sandy and gravel.
ly dunes facing the site on the west, one
at Sandia and another at Alameda. This
cluster of settlements, the inhabitants of
which spoke the same language, seemed
to the friars favorable spot for the be.
ginning of their labors, and as the Tiguas
were or at least appeared to be, friendly,
they decided upon establishing their
headquarters at Puaray. village, the
RgRaGb Gbwhi6bklik die tliyvef fGd and its It's Fer Ter
tile bottom. Not the slightest opposition
was offered and, convinced that the es-
cort was hereafter unnecessary, the three
monks took up their quarters among the
Indians, while Chamuscado and his men
engaged in further explorations.
1t required considerable boldness on
the part Of those Spaniards, to attempt to
penetrate some distance away from the
Rio Grande. But the friendly reception
rendered to them 90 far vas certainly an
encouragement. We may as well inquire
here to what the peaceable conduct of the
Pueblo Indians can be attributed? Forty
years ago, Coronado had been at Bernal-
lilo and he had not left the best of mem.
cries. The conduct of his subaltern,
Garcia Lopez de Cardenas, towards the
Tguas, had caused a cruel conflict, at the
end of which the Indians abandoned |
their homes and thereafter refused to hold
any intercourse with the whites. That
the Spaniards were in the wrong was
proven, and Cardenas severely punished
for his actions. When Coronado evacu-
ated New Mexico in the year 1542,
priest, Fray Juan de la Cruz, remained |
among the Tiguas all alone and dissp-
peared without leaving any clue to his
fate. 1t is usually supposed that the In
dians killed him. If this be true, then
the Tiguas had no reasons to be friendly
towards the new comers. But it is fact
known to those who are intimately
acquainted with Indian nature that, how
ever much romance has spoken of the
vindictiveness of the Aborigines, he is in
fact as prompt to forgive as he is
prompt to forget obligations of
gratitude. What is often represented as
actions OF long harbored revenge on the
part of the Indian, has nothing at all to
do with such feelings, but is simply the
result of new influences; particularly Of
religious nature. Whenever the original
creed and belief of the Indian demands of
him to sacrifice his best friend among the
whites he will do it in most cases, not on
account of animosity, but from superstit
ious fear from dread of the higher powers
and their interference in case of disobed-
ience. 1t is well to note such pecuiarities
of the Indian character, for the character
has been but indifferently studied, hence
correspondingly misrepresented. The In
dian is child, forgetful Of the good he
has received but equally unmindful, after
certain lapse of time, OF any wrong done
to him. The events at Coronado's time
exercised therefore not the slightest inhu-
ence upon the conduct of the Tiguas to-
wards the missionaries and their compan-
ions.
The true reasons for the conduct Of the
Pueblo Indians on this occasion are found