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Show 356 LEADING FACTS OF NEW MEXICAN PUEBLO HISTORY Popé was a San Juan Indian, but made the pueblo of Taos the center of his operations. He told the natives that their Great Father and Chief of all the Pueblos, he who had been their father since the flood, had commissioned him to order his countrymen to rebel against the invader and drive him from the land, so that they could live as their forefathers had done, free and independent. In order to wield a greater influence with them, he made them believe that this undertaking was the result of supernatural agencies, and that he held intercourse with the devil, who was lending every assistance possible in the work. Popé said that one day, while down in the kiva of Taos, there appeared unto him three figures of Indians who were always present there. They were named Caidit, Tilim, and Tlesime, who sent forth fire from every extremity of the body; they were messengers from the infernal regions; he had talked with them, had received their counsel, and he had been advised to unite all the Indians in a common league against the Spaniards. He had been directed to make a rope of the palmilla leaf, and tie in it the number of knots to represent the number of days before the uprising was to occur; that he must send this rope to all the pueblos in the kingdom, when each one should signify its approval the conspiracy by untying one of the knots. of and union with Popé, as he had been directed, caused the palmilla-leaf rope to be carried from pueblo to pueblo, by the fleetest young men, with an invitation to all to join in the enterprise, and threatening with death those who refused. Absolute secrecy was enjoined upon all. The rope was carried to every pueblo except the Piros.*** These were not invited by Popé to participate in the rebellion. In this simple manner notice was given all over the province of what was to occur, and the time when it was to take place. The date fixed was the 13th of August, 1680,*°* 864 Interrogatorios de varios Indios, 1681, fol. 125: “*Que (Popé) cogio un mecate de palmilla, y marando en el unos nudos, que significaban los dias que faltaban, para la egecucion de la traicion, lo despaché por todos los pueblos hasta el de Isleta sin que quedase en todo el reyno, mas que el de la nacion de los Piros.’’ . 365 Bancroft, H. H., History of Arizona and New Mexico, note p. 176, says: Escalante, in print, makes the date the 18th, but my Ms. copy has it 13th, as do Gregg, Davis, and Miller, and some of the original correspondence makes it August 10th, the plot being revealed on the 8th. Otermin’s narrative begins abruptly with the 10th and says nothing of preceding revelations. The knotted cord is mentioned by the original authorities. Davis’s explanation that the REBELLION AND INDEPENDENCE 307 Popé was not alone in his efforts to arouse the Indians to a proper sense of the wrongs with which they were being inflicted. He was some the leading spirit, but he had very active co-laborers. These were Catiti, a half-breed Queres Indian, Tacu or Tu-pa-ti *** of San Juan, Jaca of the Taos pueblo, and one from San Ildefonso, Some of these men had cause of perwhose name was Francisco. sonal revenge, and all burned with a desire to rid themselves of the system of tyranny which had been their portion for nearly a hunThey had been whipped and imprisoned, enslaved and dred years. punished because they would not bow down and worship the unknown God of the invader, and they thirsted for vengeance. Everything was conducted with great secrecy and every precaution taken to prevent the Spaniards knowing anything of their plans. A constant watch was kept upon those who were thought likely to divulge the plot, and no woman was let into the confidence of the conspirators. Popé’s own son-in-law, Nicolas Bua, governor of the pueblo of San Juan, fell under suspicion, and, for fear he might inform the Spanish authorities at Santa Fé, he put him to death °*7 with his own hands. The Indians in south Santa Fé county, at San Lazaro and San Cristobal, revealed Popé’s plot to Fr. Bernal, the custodio. Fy. knots represented days before the rising, and that each pueblo consenting untied one knot, is not very pees 366 Catiti Indians of San Juan reason were thereafter ‘ clear.’’ Davis says that — to the pueblo of Santo Domingo. were not hostile in the rebellion of 1680, and for that This is a mistake ; send known as ‘‘de los Caballeros.’’ were hostile; they were the most bitter and cruel of all; they also participate : in the risings of 1694 and 1696. wre 867 The saa authority on the rebellion of 1680, is, of course, Otermin. relation is cited as Extractos de Doc. Hist. N. Mex., sacados de los autos istentes en el oficio del Supremo gobierno de esta corte, que sobre . el shes miento del afio de 1680 formé Don Antonio de Otermin, gobernador y nego This is found in N. Mex. Doc. Hist., Ms., 1153-17 . general del mismo reino. This is a record of the movements of Otermin from August 10, 1680, to a. spring of 1682. There is also a report by the — It is very voluminous. In the same e ac Mexico, which is but a résumé of the Otermin relation. of N. Mex. Docs., Ms., 514-81, are several important letters written at a, Franciscan the by 1680, December, in the months of August to Vetancurt, Cronica, 94-114, and in his Menologio, the standard chrome eo Franciscan provincia del Santo Evangelio, published in 1697 : but written : . 1691, before the re-conquest, there is much valuable information = 10 ao sl ene e 9d os 0 n who thewerebestppauthorities as tois the the revolt, prior to Carta, Missions one of also friars et seq., 116 and Escalante, Indians. just the subject, the author having searched the archives by order of his’ superior e in 1778, and thus consulted, doubtless, addition to the relation by Otermin. much missionary correspondenc Davis, W. W. H., The Spanish Conques |
