The Mestizo-Mexicano-Indian History
by Luis V. Rodriguez, C33000
P.O. Box 7500, B5-113, Crescent City, CA 95532
Webster's dictionary defines mestizo as "a person of mixed blood; a
person of mixed Spanish and Amerindian blood." It is necessary to understand
this as many persons with Hispanic surnames have been mis-identified by
the government and ignorant people as simply "Hispanics" or "Mexican."
Actually, many such people are of Native-American-Spanish lineage.
Columbus landed in what is now known as Mexico and called it America. He
called the native people there Indians. As time progressed, Cortez arrived
from Spain, as did Coronado, Cabeza de Baca, Ornate-each carrying out conquests
of the indigenous peoples in much of what is now Mexico.. In addition, they
claimed as "New Spain" the vast majority of what we call the southwestern
states, including California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and parts
of Colorado.
The Spaniards followed the usual pattern of conquest, subjecting native
women to pregnancy by rape, enslaving men, women and children as they traversed
Mexico looking for the "Seven Cities of Gold" rumored to exist
in the north. Along the way the Spaniards renamed native villages as Spanish
pueblos and usually erected a church on the spot of the captured and destroyed
village, forcing the natives under torture and fear to swear allegiance
to Spain and the Church. While renaming villages, they renamed the native
peoples with Spanish names. This became the common practice when native
children were born and baptized with a Spanish, Christian name.
Some of the natives that the Spaniards took with them as slaves and guides
in their quest escaped, for example, the Tlascalans who were taken in by
the Zuni in New Mexico. All major cities throughout the southwestern states
were named by the Spaniards before the U.S. gained control in the mid-1800s.
Meanwhile, the Spaniards for the previous 300 years had been mixing with
the natives.
In 1599, Don Juan Onate of Spain sent Vicente Zaldivar to avenge the killing
of Zaldivar's brother, Juan de Zaldivar and his small detachment of soldiers
who were sent to extort goods from the Acomas. Vicente Zaldivar and his
soldiers killed hundreds of the Acoma; all remaining who did not escape
were taken captive. Women over the age of 12 were sentenced to 20 years
labor; the men were not only sentenced to 20 years labor, but also subject
to having one foot chopped off so they would not run off. Young girls were
given to the Church and the young boys were given to Zaldivar as a reward.
In 1680, theTaos Revolt by natives and mestizos (Mexicans) in Taos, New
Mexico, was organized and led by Luis Tupato, Pope and Alonza Catiti. Some
of the tribes participating in the revolt were the Tesque, Zia, Pokkwoge,
Hopi, Picuris, Tua, Oke, Kiuwa. Retaliations by the Spaniards and Americans
were extensive.
Prior to the Spaniards' arrival, the Tua (Taos Indians), Ute, Apache, and
Comanche utilized the Tua village as a main trade center and mixed through
marriage. After the 1680 revolt, they mixed with the Jircarilla Apache and
moved to Scott County, Kansas, but were later brought back to Taos by the
Spaniards. The Picuris (Pikuria) and the Taos Indians were descendants of
the same ancestral family group which existed in 900 A.D. Many tribes of
the Tiwa nation fled and commingled with various other tribes: Zuni, Navajo,
Hopi, and Jemez.
In 1694 the Spaniard Diego de Vargas, with help from his allies, the Zia,
Katishtya (San Felipe), and Tamaya (Santa Ana), attacked and destroyed the
Jemez village. The Isleta (Tuei), took refuge with other Tiwa villages until
1681 when Governor Oterman, attempting to re-establish Spanish control,
attacked several Tiwa villages and took hundreds of captives and resettled
them south of El Paso at a place he called Isleta del Sur. The Sandia (Nafiat),
and Kapo mixed with the Hopi after the 1680 revolt, as did the Kiowa (Santa
Domingo). Some were moved to Acoma along with the Cochiti refugees and later
established the Pueblo of Laguna. (Tanos Indians arrived later.)
In 1689 the Spanish Governor Domingo de Cruziate attacked and killed more
than 600 natives at the Zia village, destroyed the village and sold captives
into slavery. Those who escaped built a village near the Jemez, but later
returned to Zia and remained loyal to the Spaniards, often acting as allies
in attacks on other villages. To this day they are still regarded as social
outcasts for these reasons.
The Laguna Pueblo (as named by Spaniards) was established in 1699 and later
incorporated many Zuni, Acoma, Katishtya, Zia, Oraibi, Sandia, and Jemez.
(The native name for the Laguna village was Kawaik.) Presently this tribe
has become one and occupies Paquate, Encinal, Paraje, New Laguna, Mesita,
Casa Blanca, and Seama.
In the 1800s, the Kapo (Santa Clara) tribe spit up due to many not wanting
to accept the federal government's programs.
Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, at which time it still controlled
all of the aforementioned territory of the southwestern states. Mexico,
as a result of independence, opened its doors to full citizenship and rights
for all natives (Indians), which included the right to stake land claims.
Many Indians and mestizos accepted citizenship and filed land claims, but
many refused. (Remember the extent of territory which was Mexico at that
time and the innumerable natives and mestizos within that territory.)
It wasn't until 1848 that the "Treaty of Guadelupe de Hildago"
was signed and not until 1853 that the "Gadsden Purchase" sold
off the various southwestern states to the United States government. At
that time the United States slammed the door on all natives (Indians). They
were not entitled to anything but a good killing, as General Sheridan coined
the phrase "The only good Indian is a dead Indian."
The indigenous peoples of the southwest had been battling at this point
for 300 years, and would now refocus it against the new oppressors, the
USA. Many great war chiefs came from the Apache Nation, such as Geronimo,
Cochise, Mangas Colorado, Victorio, Armijo, Chato, Naiche, Taza, Mangas,
Jr., Bonito, Huerro Grande, El Sordo, Barboncito, Estrella, Cadette, Loco,
Nana, as well as Manuelito of the Navajos, Santana of the Kiowas, Delshay
of the Tonto Apache, Eskiminzin of the Aravaipa, Chihuahua of the Chiriehua,
from1860 to 1886. (Note all the Spanish names; many spoke fluent Spanish.)
Unfortunately many Native Americans, ignorant of historical facts, try to
project the government "roll number" of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
as some great identity tag, as though it makes them more "Red"
or "Indian" than a mestizo whose ancestors took to the deep mountains
to survive wave after wave of genocidal attacks. Not all natives were captured
or surrendered in the government forts and reservations and given a "Biscuit
Number" for rations. Many escaped the attacks, escaped from the forts,
escaped from the "Long Walks," from the reservations, and remained
free, without a BIA Biscuit Roll number-not to mention all those who accepted
Mexican full citizenship, received land (stake-claims), took Hispanic names,
and filtered into the oppressor's overwhelming systematic domination to
secure their best interests. Lastly, there are mestizos of mixed blood,
whether Apache-Spanish, or Navajo-Spanish, Zuni-Spanish, or Maya-Spanish,
who may have filtered into the U.S. government's files misidentified. Those
who act like they must have a
Biscuit-Government-ration number to be "Red" and a white British
or French last name to be "Indian," should wake up and check the
efforts of many who have continued the fight of our ancestors for our indigenous
cultural/spiritual ways and human rights, as well as self-determination.
Many personally oppose the "American" part of the label "Native
American Indian." What is the difference if some would rather identify
themselves as "mestizo" or "mestizo-Mexicano" or "Apache-Mexicano"?
A Mexican is a person whose nationality-country of origin, is Mexico. It's
not a true "race" identity. The United States refused to even
recognize our people as "persons" within the meaning of the law
until 1879 (Standing Bear v. Cook-a federal habeas corpus case). So if a
person of mixed southwestern native and Spanish blood prefers identification
as "mestizo" and the American government misidentifies him/her
as "Mexican race," yet the person stands true as a warrior for
both his "Red-Indian" heritage and pre-1853 "Mexican"
heritage, this does not make him any less "Red" or "Indian"
than those with a government roll number-especially if he knows, practices,
and follows the "Red Road." Prejudices are derived from ignorance.
A roll number is nothing more than a tag of subjugation and capitulation.
-Mitakuye oyasin. In the spirit of Crazy Horse, Geronimo, Mangas, Colorado,
and all the other great warriors and chiefs who fought and died in the struggle
to maintain self-determination.
Native American
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