OCR Text |
Show 92 vii. nahonzhoodaA' This war led to Spain's first formal peace treaty with the Navajos. The Spaniards forced severe terms on the Indians. The Navajos gave up Cebolleta. They agreed to stop stealing Spanish stock, to return captives, and to have nothing to do with any enemies of the Spaniards. The tribe also had to turn over anyone who raided. The Spaniards demanded the return of more than 1,000 sheep, 150 cattle, and 60 horses. The governor told the Indians that they could no longer expect gifts when they came to Santa Fe. He also ordered them not to come closer to the Rio Grande than the Canyon de Juan Tafoya, the Rio del Oso, and San Mateo. All of these places were on the slopes of the Cebolleta or San Mateo Mountains. Cristobal, Vicente, and Segundo, leaders of the Navajos, agreed to these terms. By the time of this treaty (1805), Navajos lived on land from the Rio Grande all the way to the Hopi Pueblos. In addition to raising stock, they continued to cultivate the soil, using hoes made of oak or of iron obtained from the Spaniards. Their woolen textiles were thought to be the best in Sonora and Chihuahua, as well as New Mexico. The treaty did not stop the Navajos from causing trouble for New Mexico, where the Spaniards had a new problem. France had sold Louisiana to the United States in 1803, and, before 1810, Anglo-Americans began to reach Santa Fe. Spain feared the effect these outsiders might have on the hostile Indians. Because the Spaniards thought the Americans would encourage the Indians to fight, Spanish officials watched tribes such as the Navajos closely. A second, older problem also returned. Once again a Navajo-Gila Apache league brought fighting to the western frontier. The Mexican Revolution The Spaniards were unable to solve their problems with the Indians. By 1808 the old land disputes around Cebolleta and the Rio Puerco had become so complex that they could not be solved. Warfare went on into 1810, when the Mexican Revolution for a time destroyed all hopes of peace. The Navajos and other Indians were able to make use of the fact that Spain took troops and money from New Mexico to fight the revolution. Soldiers turned to cheating and illegal trade to make up for their lower pay. Indian gifts were no longer made. New Mexicans were able to make only half-hearted campaigns and patched-up truces. Many Navajos stayed at peace, using trade and their own economy more than |