Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico – Legends of America
Nestled in the heart of north-central New Mexico, Jemez Pueblo stands as a testament to the enduring spirit and rich cultural heritage of the Towa-speaking people. Known as "Hay-mess," this vibrant community traces its origins back to "Hua-na-tota" in the Largo Canyon area of northwestern New Mexico. After calling this region home for over a millennium, the people migrated south in the 14th century, settling in the southwestern Jemez Mountains, where they skillfully blended agriculture with hunting and gathering to sustain their way of life.
A Glimpse into the Past: Encounters with the Spanish
The arrival of Spanish Conquistador Francisco Vazquez de Coronado’s expedition in 1541 marked the first encounter between the Jemez people and Europeans. Coronado’s entourage, comprising 500 soldiers and 2,000 Indian allies from New Spain, ventured into the area, discovering that the Jemez Nation was a formidable force among the Puebloan cultures. The Jemez controlled over 40 strategically positioned villages on the elevated mesas and canyons surrounding the present-day pueblo of Walatowa. These villages, some boasting over 500 rooms, were complemented by numerous smaller field houses, each with one or two rooms. These remarkable stone fortresses, some towering four stories high and containing as many as 3,000 rooms, stood as a testament to the Jemez people’s architectural prowess and communal spirit. Spanish records documented the existence of 11 distinct Jemez villages during this period.
These "giant pueblos" served as year-round residences for spiritual leaders, medicine people, war chiefs, skilled craftsmen, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with disabilities. Meanwhile, the smaller houses were used as seasonal basecamps for hunting, gathering, and agricultural pursuits. To ensure the safety of their communities, warriors were strategically stationed nearby, and impenetrable barriers were erected among the cliffs to safeguard springs and religious sites, monitor trail systems, and watch for potential invaders. With its well-organized defense system, the Jemez people resembled a military society, often called upon by other tribes to mediate hostile disputes.
Despite their search for the mythical Seven Cities of Gold, Coronado and his men refrained from aggressive actions against the Jemez, perhaps awed by the sheer size and strength of the pueblo. However, subsequent expeditions, such as the Rodriquez-Chamuscado Expedition in 1581 and the Espejo Expedition in 1583, further documented the Jemez Nation’s presence in the San Diego Canyon, estimating their population at around 30,000 tribal members.
Spanish Colonization and Resistance
In 1598, Don Juan de Onate claimed New Mexico for the Spanish crown, integrating it as a province of New Spain. Soon after, a detachment of the first colonized expedition visited the Jemez, and Franciscan priest Father Alonzo de Lugo was assigned to Christianize the Province of Jemez. Under Spanish influence, the villages were consolidated into three pueblos: Astialakawa, Patoqua, and Giusewa.
Giusewa, meaning "place of boiling waters" in the Towa language, was situated near natural hot springs and served as the largest of the three ancestral villages. It was home to an estimated 500-800 people and comprised approximately 350 small, square rooms constructed from volcanic tuff masonry and adobe, topped with flat earthen roofs. These structures were terraced to form room blocks of two to three stories, clustered around several square plazas.
Fray Alonzo de Lugo commissioned the construction of the area’s first church at the Jemez Pueblo of Guisewa. Lugo also built a small convento, but his time at Gūsewa was short-lived. In 1601, Lugo and most other Franciscan missionaries abandoned New Mexico, possibly as a protest against Oñate’s violent and authoritarian treatment of the Pueblo peoples. By 1610, the mission had been deserted, and the Jemez had dispersed to fortified pueblos on high, inaccessible mesas.
Around 1621, Fray Gerónimo de Zárate Salmerón became the next missionary assigned to Jemez. Seeking to reunite and convert the scattered population, Salmerón initiated the construction of the large mission church of San José de Giusewa in 1621-1622. However, around 1623-1625, the church was damaged by a fire during a Navajo raid, causing the Jemez to once again seek refuge in the mountains.
The "forced" conversion efforts met with resistance, prompting Fray Alonso Benavides to describe the Jemez as "one of the most indomitable and belligerent of the whole kingdom" in 1926. Nevertheless, the Spanish persisted, and in 1628, Fray Martin de Arvide was sent to the region. Arvide completed the mission’s reconstruction and, as part of the ongoing effort to consolidate the Jemez, established a second mission at Walatowa, located 13 miles south of Giusewa at the present site of Jemez Pueblo. In 1632, Arvide was transferred to Zuni, where he met his demise.
In the years that followed, the Jemez remained at Walatowa and continued to resist Christianization attempts by subsequent friars assigned to the mission at Giusewa. Today, the ruins of the Giusewa church and village form the historic Jemez State Monument, situated on State Highway 4 in Jemez Springs, New Mexico.
The Great Pueblo Revolt and its Aftermath
By 1680, tensions escalated, culminating in the Great Pueblo Revolt, a strategic and collaborative effort by all the Puebloan Nations that successfully expelled the Spanish from New Mexico. This remarkable event stands as the first and only successful revolt in the United States where a suppressive nation was overthrown. Unfortunately, the wartime efforts and diseases introduced by the Europeans took a devastating toll on the Jemez population.
In 1688, the Spanish began their reconquest of New Mexico under the leadership of General Pedro Reneros de Posada, the acting Governor of New Mexico. The Pueblos of Santa Ana and Zia were the first to fall, and by 1692, Santa Fe was back in Spanish hands under Governor Diego de Vargas.
Amidst this turmoil, the Jemez sought refuge on a mesa between the San Diego and Guadalupe Canyons. From this stronghold, they launched attacks on the pro-Spanish Pueblos of Zia and Santa Ana in 1693. In July 1694, de Vargas led an assault on the Jemez, resulting in the deaths of 84 men and the capture of 361 women and children, who were taken to Santa Fe. The captives were returned to Walatowa in 1695 and were instructed to build a new mission church under Fray Francisco de Jesús. However, the construction of the new church, initially dedicated to San Juan de los Jemez, was abandoned when Jemez warrior Luis Cunixu assassinated Fray Jesús in 1696. Many Jemez people once again fled to the mountains, although many returned within a few years.
Despite the challenges, the Jemez Nation remained under clergy and military rule. The people were forced to relocate to the Village of Walatowa. However, this time, the Spanish did not persecute their culture and traditions as severely as before, allowing them to preserve many aspects of their way of life. This would eventually lead to many significant ancestral sites outside the Pueblo, which are now on federal lands and no longer controlled by the Jemez. These sites now constitute some of the most significant archaeological ruins in the United States.
By 1706, the construction of the church at Walatowa had resumed. Now dedicated to San Diego, the church was destroyed by Apache raiders in 1709. However, it was subsequently rebuilt and became a fully functioning mission by 1744.
When Fray Francisco Atanasio Domínguez visited Walatowa, he described it as follows:
“It all stands behind the church and convent, extending to the north. It consists of five blocks, or tenements, all of adobe, and two of them stand at the ends, one on the east and the other on the west because the other three run across between them, one behind the other… and there are very good streets between them.”
Integration of Pecos Pueblo
In 1838, survivors of Pecos Pueblo, a once-mighty trading center now in ruins, joined the Jemez. The Towa-speaking people from Pecos, located east of Santa Fe, resettled at the Pueblo of Jemez to escape the Spanish and Comanche cultures’ increasing depredations. Readily welcomed, the Pecos culture was rapidly integrated into the Jemez Society. Nearly a century later, in 1936, the Jemez and Pecos people were legally merged into one by an Act of Congress.
The Jemez Today: A Thriving Community
In the latter half of the 20th century, many Jemez people transitioned from agriculture to wage-earning work. However, pueblo residents continue to cultivate chili peppers, corn, and wheat. They are also renowned internationally for their arts and crafts, including pottery (elaborately polished and engraved bowls, wedding vases, figurines), beautiful basketry, embroidery, woven cloths, exquisite stone sculpture, moccasins, and jewelry.
Today, the Jemez is a federally recognized tribe with approximately 3,400 members, most of whom reside in the Puebloan village of Walatowa. As one of the 19 remaining pueblos of New Mexico, the tribe’s land encompasses over 89,000 acres, surrounded by colorful red sandstone mesas.
This area serves as the gateway to the Cañon de San Diego and the Jemez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway. Nearby attractions include the Jemez Red Rocks Recreation Area, Jemez Springs, and Jemez State Monument.
The Pueblo of Jemez is an independent sovereign nation with its own government and tribal court system. The Tribal Government comprises the Tribal Council, the Jemez Governor, two Lieutenant Governors, two fiscales (government revenue officers), and a sheriff. The second Lieutenant Governor also serves as the governor of the Pueblo of Pecos. Traditional matters are handled by a separate governing body rooted in prehistory, including spiritual and society leaders, a War Captain, and a Lieutenant War Captain.
The Jemez have preserved their cultural traditions and practices unchanged since Pre-Spanish times, including those of the Pecos Pueblo. The Jemez people continue to speak the Towa language. The community remains agriculturally self-sufficient, and many residences maintain small gardens for growing native vegetables such as beans, corn, chile, and squash.
While the pueblo itself is generally closed to the public, it welcomes visitors during feast days. Traditional dances are held throughout the year at Jemez. The public is invited to the "Nuestra Senora de Los Angelas Feast Day de Los Persingula" on August 2nd and the "San Diego Feast Day" on November 12th. Additional events open to the public occur at various times throughout the Christmas Holidays.
Walatowa, the main village, is open to visitors. The Pueblo of Jemez-Walatowa Visitor Center and Museum of History and Culture, located at 7413 Hwy 4, Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico, offers a reconstructed traditional Jemez field house, photo exhibits, a gift shop, cultural exhibits, a nature walk, and an interpretive program.
The Jemez Pueblo is situated 27 miles northwest of Bernalillo on New Mexico Highway 44, within the southern end of the majestic San Diego Canyon.
The Jemez Pueblo stands as a living testament to the resilience, cultural richness, and enduring spirit of the Towa-speaking people, offering a glimpse into a history that spans centuries and a culture that continues to thrive in the heart of New Mexico.