EXPLORING NEW MEXICO
|
|
|
Fifth of a series
So how does a New Mexico museum deal with the centuries-old friction between Hispanics and Native Americans? How does that happen in the region of the country where the Spanish were perhaps most abusive of Native Americans and where the natives rebelled, killed and expelled the Hispanics?
Once you get to the Albuquerque Museum, the answer is obvious: The museum tries to defend both sides — sometimes in one single paragraph!
"When not trading with Indian parties, Albuquerque's earliest settlers endured terrifying raids for centuries," an exhibit explains. "Raiders bravely protected their lifestyles and societal values. Residents either defended themselves or risked losing weapons, supplies and even family." Equating losing "lifestyles and social values" with losing human lives, "even family," doesn't seem right, but that's what I found in this museum, a concerted effort to be so fair that it becomes unfair at times. And yet I understand how difficult it is to tell this story without offending anyone. Some background: Tired of being mistreated by Hispanic settlers, submitted to forced labor and religious persecution, Native Americans rebelled in 1680, killing some 400 settlers — men, women and children and 21 Franciscan missionaries — and driving some 2,000 others out of New Mexico. It is known as the Pueblo Revolt. |
|
|
When the Spanish came back 12 years later, in what they called a "bloodless reconquest," the peaceful repossession of New Mexico didn't last long. When some natives refused to submit to Spanish rule, Don Diego de Vargas, the Spanish Governor of New Mexico, retaliated violently in many ways, even having 70 opposing Pueblo warriors executed.
But it goes back even further. Spanish/Indian wars began here almost 500 years ago. "Ignoring Spain's humanitarian laws, undisciplined soldiers serving under Francisco Vásquez de Coronado sparked the Tiguex War during their 1540-1541 winter encampment along the Rio Grande," an exhibit explains. |
|
|
The Tiguex War, the Pueblo Revolt and the "Reconquest" still cast a shadow over New Mexico, and over the relations between Native Americans and Hispanics. Spanish monuments have been desecrated and removed in recent years. But stay tuned for more about that. I intend to revisit De Vargas when I get to Santa Fe, where protesters convinced the city to remove his statue from a prominent park and where another museum can tell us more about the love-hate relationship between Hispanics and Native Americans in this part of the country.
Nevertheless, as I keep saying to anyone willing to listen, history is history — all of it. No part of it should be hidden or denied, even when it hurts! And we should not judge our ancestors — on either side! — by today's human rights standards. |
|
|
New Mexico's Indian/Hispanic pain was inflicted in both directions. While some people might be offended from seeing a museum image of Native Americans destroying a Catholic Church during the Pueblo Revolt, others could be equality offended by images of conquistadors swinging their swords in battle with Native Americans.
But it's not the museum's objectivity that hurts. It's the truth! |
|
|
Yet, there is hope. "Today, community ties and federal laws have proven to be stronger than oppressive acts," another exhibit explains. "Although discrimination persists, Albuquerque is more open-minded. Communities live in relatively peaceful co-existence, with greater respect for all."
And I have seen that since I have been here! The museum presents a simple but clear explanation of the beginnings of Albuquerque. As I noted in part three of this series, it introduces both the Duke of Alburquerque, the namesake of the city, and Francisco Cuervo y Valdés, the founder of the city. And it explains how the founding of the city was celebrated: By looking in four directions and "throwing grass and stones into the air, and shouting, 'God Save the King'". Another exhibit features a list of the founding families and their birthplaces and ancestry. It shows that while many of these families came to establish Albuquerque from nearby Bernalillo, and many were born in New Mexico, the list shows that many others were originally from Mexico and Spain. (See image). "The story of Albuquerque's founding fills us with pride," one exhibit explains. "Past accounts wobbled between fact and fiction, myth and history. But we now know more. We know our founding fathers as brave and brazen men and women from many cultural backgrounds. We know they created a villa (administrative center), held a ceremony, raised families, and founded new communities. And we know their descendants, who still live among us." |
|
|
Some of those Hispanic descendants have been guiding my exploration of New Mexico. And they tell me that in the park across the street from this museum, I can pick up the trail of another historic Hispanic expedition. Are you coming? I think that should be my next article.
|
To read other parts of this ongoing series, click: EXPLORING NEW MEXICO
