Acoma Pueblo 1800's- 1900's

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Acoma Means "A place that always was"

Acoma's isolated location made it appear impenetrable and was allowed to flourish and develop cultural traditions, many that we still practice today.

It was founded as early as 11oo A.D, And is believed that the Acoma people have lived on the mesa forever.

Luguna Acoma Late 1800's - Early 1900's

San Esteben Del Rey

In the late 1800s, Americans arrived as government agents, missionaries, teachers, anthropologists, and traders.

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad also reached Laguna in the late 1800s. Laguna potters sold their pots to tourists at the station. This trade meant a new cash economy for the pueblo.

During 1940's many of the Acoma people worked on the railroads.

Exact dates of construction are unknown.

Father Juan Ramirez first permanment Franciscan father to live in Acoma.

The massive church is still standing today.

No pictures are allowed inside the church for tourist and for the Acoma people.

Used for ceremonies and special occations.

Was not destroyed throughout history and is still maintained by the Acoma Pueblo people to this day.

Acoma Pueblo 1800's- 1900's

Spanish Explores Changing Acoma Forever

The Acoma people did give the Spanish explorers a chance to be friends, reports indicate that the Acoma were friendly, often meeting expedition parties at the bottom of the mesa to greet and assist them. But they tried to change their ways of life and the Acoma people were strong in their religion, and when the Spanish came over and tried to change that (of course they relatiated). It was the way of thier lives the way that the generation learned it before and the one before that, and that wasn't going to change.

Acoma People Retalitae

Resources

December 1598, residents lured Captain Juan de Zaldivar, into the pueblo and murdered him and 14 of his men.

Zaldivar's brother ,Onate, arrived with a force of 70 Spanish soldiers to avenge the deaths.

The result of this bitter battle was the sacking and burning of much of the pueblo and the death of appoximately 1,500 residents.

The Spanish forced those that remained to surrender the pueblo to the Spanish.

Onate himself then demanded sentencing survivors to bodily mutation.

http://www.southwestcrossroads.org/record.php?num=510

http://www.everyculture.com/North-America/Pueblo-Indians.html#ixzz3n3MDdlBx

http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/american_latino_heritage/Acoma_Pueblo.html

Lucille Routzen 3rd Hour

When the rebuilding of the pueblo under Spanish rule they begin to try to covert the Acoma people to Catholicism and their Spanish ways of life.

Uranium In Acoma 1950's

The discovery of uranium near Gallup and Laguna in the 1950s brought further change to the pueblo. At one point, more than 800 Lagunas worked in the uranium mines. Uranium mining provided an economic boom for Laguna until the mines closed. Unfortunately, working in the mines also took a terrible toll on the health and lives of the miners and their families.