Popé
Popé | |
---|---|
Ohkay Owingeh, New Spain | |
Died | c. 1692 |
Nationality | Tewa |
Popé or Po'pay (
Background
Spanish rule of the
Po'pay appears in history in 1675 as one of 47 religious leaders of the northern Pueblo arrested by
After his release, Po'pay retired to the remote Taos Pueblo and began planning a rebellion.[5] Po'pay's message was simple: destroy the Spanish and their influence and go back to the old ways of life that had given the Pueblos relative peace, prosperity, and independence. The Pueblo revolt displayed "all the classic characteristics of a revitalization movement...the emergence of a charismatic leader, the development of a core group of followers who spread the prophet's message to the wider public; and, ultimately the successful transformation of Pueblo cultures and communities."[6][7]
Po'pay began secret negotiations with leaders from all other pueblos. They agreed to begin the revolt on August 13, 1680, and runners were sent out to each Pueblo with knotted cords, the number of knots corresponding to the days left before the revolt was to begin.
The Revolt
The last few years had been relatively quiet and free from internal dissent, and the Spanish in the capital city of Santa Fe were astonished as a report came to the governor early in the morning of August 10 that a Spanish priest had been killed at a Pueblo only nine miles from Santa Fe.[10] By August 15, 1,000 Spaniards had taken refuge in the Governor's palace in Santa Fe, and they were besieged by a Pueblo army led by Popé they estimated (or overestimated) to number 2,500. Other Spanish survivors had taken refuge in the friendly Pueblo of Isleta, from where they fled southward.
On August 21 the Spanish broke out of the Palace and began a long trek south, leaving New Mexico behind and not stopping until they reached
After the Revolt
Po'pay had succeeded in expelling the Spanish from New Mexico and according to later accounts, possibly prejudiced, set himself up as the sole ruler of all the Pueblos. He attempted to destroy every trace of the Spanish presence in New Mexico. "The God of the Christians is dead," he proclaimed. "He was made of rotten wood."[12]
A Spanish force of 300 men attempted to regain a foothold in New Mexico in 1681, but was repelled by Po'pay's army. Another Spanish effort in 1687 also failed. But the expulsion of the Spanish had not brought peace and prosperity to the Pueblos. A return to the traditional religion did not bring rain to ease a drought that destroyed crops. The
Po'pay died, probably in 1688, with the united Pueblo state he envisioned divided and weak. In 1692, Governor Diego de Vargas, with an army of 150 Spanish soldiers and pro-Spanish Pueblo warriors, attempted reconquest. Vargas wisely promised pardon rather than punishment and most of the Pueblos gradually acceded to Spanish rule although violent opposition to Spanish rule continued for several years. Only the distant Hopi, living in what is today Arizona, retained their independence although many Pueblos also took up residence among the Navajo and Apaches.[13]
Aftermath and assessment of Po'pay
As stated by Matthew Martinez of Po'pay's home Pueblo,
Both the Spanish and the Pueblos were decimated by the revolt and its aftermath. However, what can be said with certainty is that the relations between Spanish and the Pueblos was far different after the revolt than before. The dreaded Thus, New Mexico became a blend of Spanish and Pueblo culture.
Recognition
On September 22, 2005, the
Po'pay is mentioned by the controversial Taos
Po'pay is the main character in the opera The Scars On His Back by composer Simon Andrews that depicts the events leading up to and following the Pueblo Revolt.[16]
References
- ^ Frank, Ross, "Demographic, Social, and Economic Change in New Mexico," in New Views of Borderland History, ed. by Robert H. Jackson. Albuquerque: U of NM Press, 1998, 43-44
- ^ Riley, Carroll L. Rio del Norte, Salt Lake City: U of Utah Press, 1994, 266
- ^ John, Elizabeth A. H., Storms Brewed in Other Men's Worlds, Lincoln: U of Neb Press, 1975, 94.
- ^ MacDonald, Priscilla, "Pope: the Man behind the Legend[permanent dead link]," University of Lourdes, accessed May 1, 2010
- ^ Ponce, Pedro, "Trouble for the Spanish: The Pueblo Revolt of 1680 Archived 2008-09-16 at the Wayback Machine", accessed Apr 14, 2010
- S2CID 9469508.
- ^ MacDonald, 6.
- ^ MacDonald, 6
- ^ John, 99; Riley, 267
- ^ MacDonald, 7
- ^ Riley, 268; John 101
- ^ MacDonald, 11.
- ^ John, 121-147.
- ^ a b "New Mexico Office of the State Historian : Popé". Newmexicohistory.org. May 21, 2005. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
- ^ "The West - Popé". PBS. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
- ^ "The scars on his back – Simon Andrews".
External links
Media related to Popé at Wikimedia Commons