The story of the 19 pueblo tribes of New Mexico is a unique and complex chapter in the history of Native American relations with the United States federal government. Unlike many other tribes across the nation, the pueblos never formally signed treaties with the U.S. This singular distinction has shaped their interactions with the government, resulting in a paradoxical existence marked by both autonomy and assimilation.
For generations, the pueblos navigated a space where they didn’t neatly fit the government’s pre-conceived notions of Native Americans, yet, they were still undeniably "Indian" enough to be subjected to federal policies aimed at cultural transformation. These policies included suppressing native languages and mandating attendance at boarding schools, where children were often forbidden from speaking their ancestral tongues and practicing their traditions. This dual existence, a push and pull between self-determination and enforced assimilation, has defined the pueblo experience for over a century.
Now, in a powerful act of self-representation, the pueblos have united to present their own historical perspective on the impact of 100 years of state and federal policies. This narrative is brought to life in a compelling exhibit at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, offering visitors a rare opportunity to understand the pueblo experience from the inside out. The exhibit, a testament to resilience and cultural preservation, provides a platform for the pueblos to reclaim their history and educate future generations.
A Visual Journey Through Time
The exhibit’s design itself is a reflection of pueblo artistry and symbolism. A timeline, adorned with simple yet evocative black and white designs representing turkey feathers, serves as the backbone of the exhibition. This visual thread guides visitors through a chronological exploration of key events and policies that have shaped the pueblos’ relationship with the government.
The space is filled with a rich tapestry of historical artifacts, including photographs, letters, traditional pottery, and other crafts. Each object tells a story, offering glimpses into the lives, struggles, and triumphs of the pueblo people. To further enhance the visitor experience, interactive touch screens and QR codes are strategically placed throughout the exhibit, linking to a wealth of supplementary materials such as videos, audio interviews, and historical documents. These digital resources provide deeper context and allow visitors to engage with the material on multiple levels.
"We Must Teach the Future Generations": A Call to Action
Travis Suazo, the exhibition project manager, emphasizes the importance of this collective storytelling effort. "The timeline and the points along the timeline are really elements of challenges our pueblo people have faced and how pueblo people through education and through perseverance have risen through these challenges," he explains. "It’s important to teach a younger generation the foundation of why certain things are the way they are."
This statement underscores the exhibit’s core mission: to empower future generations with a comprehensive understanding of their history, enabling them to navigate the complexities of the present and shape a more just future. By understanding the historical context of current challenges, young pueblo members can become effective advocates for their communities and cultural heritage.
Scattered along the Rio Grande Valley and extending into parts of west-central New Mexico, the pueblos boast a rich and ancient history, predating the arrival of Europeans. Their story encompasses the Spanish conquest, the era of Mexican rule, and ultimately, the westward expansion of the United States. Throughout each of these periods, the pueblos have faced continuous challenges to their tribal sovereignty and cultural identity.
The idea for the exhibit, told from the pueblo perspective, originated from a series of leadership institutes held at the Santa Fe Indian School. These institutes, established in part by Regis Pecos, a former tribal governor and past director of the state’s Indian Affairs agency, aimed to foster dialogue on public policy issues affecting tribal communities and to cultivate the next generation of leaders.
Ron Solimon, executive director of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, highlights the importance of expanding the reach of this knowledge. "We’re aiming at concentric circles of youth, native people and others," he says. "A lot of us – and I include myself – suffer from ignorance on the rich history that our pueblo people have been involved in, especially since the U.S. claimed this area as a territory."
The exhibit on New Mexico’s pueblos have a history with the federal government unlike any other American Indian tribe begins with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in 1848, which marked the end of the Mexican-American War and ushered in a new era for the pueblos. This treaty, while intended to protect the rights of Mexican citizens who became U.S. residents, had complex and often detrimental consequences for the pueblos.
Following the treaty, a series of federal laws and policies dramatically altered the landscape of pueblo life. The Mining Act of 1872, for example, opened up vast tracts of land to mining interests, often at the expense of pueblo land claims. The Religious Crimes Code further restricted traditional religious practices, contributing to the erosion of cultural identity. New Mexico’s statehood in 1912 brought its own set of challenges, as state laws often clashed with tribal sovereignty. In total, the exhibit examines nearly three dozen laws that have profoundly affected everything from land ownership to education and civil rights.
Assimilation, Allotment, Relocation, and Removal: The Legacy of Federal Policy
The exhibit meticulously outlines the intent and actual effect of each law on the pueblos’ core values. These policies often centered around assimilation, aiming to integrate Native Americans into mainstream American society by dismantling their traditional ways of life. Allotment, a policy that divided communal tribal lands into individual parcels, further undermined tribal unity and opened the door for land loss. Relocation programs encouraged Native Americans to move to urban centers, often severing ties with their communities and cultural traditions. Removal, the forced displacement of tribes from their ancestral lands, represents one of the most devastating chapters in Native American history, though less directly applicable to the pueblos than to tribes further east.
One particularly poignant display features a photograph of Marine Corp. veteran Miguel Trujillo of Isleta Pueblo, standing proudly in uniform with his young daughter. This image marks a crucial turning point in the fight for civil rights. Trujillo, often overlooked in mainstream history books, played a pivotal role in securing the right to vote for members of New Mexico’s tribes in state and national elections. Prior to 1948, a discriminatory provision in the state constitution effectively disenfranchised Native American voters.
As the federal government intensified its efforts to assimilate American Indians, families were frequently compelled to send their children to boarding schools. Pueblo children were no exception, and many attended the Albuquerque Indian School. The exhibit includes a student’s diploma, issued by the "Department of the Interior," along with her academic and cheerleading letters from 1946. These artifacts offer a glimpse into the complex experiences of these students, who were often caught between two worlds.
On another wall, a statement by Zia Pueblo official Peter Pino encapsulates the delicate balance between preserving tradition and adapting to change. "If we are not careful, we can finish what the federal government could never accomplish," he wrote, referring to the insidious threat of assimilation. This quote serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing need to safeguard cultural identity in the face of external pressures.
Even Travis Suazo’s own family history has been touched by the legacy of these policies. His grandparents, subjected to harsh discipline for speaking their native language of Keris in boarding school, ultimately chose not to pass it on to their children. As a result, Suazo’s son is now left to grapple with the language barrier, asking what the words mean when he hears them spoken by elders in the community.
Suazo and others at the cultural center emphasize that the exhibit is a tribute to the resilience and determination of previous generations. It celebrates the accomplishments of those who persevered in the face of immense adversity.
"It’s important to teach the next generation," Suazo concludes, "so that they too going into their own futures can understand what elements they have the ability to change." The exhibit, on New Mexico’s pueblos have a history with the federal government unlike any other American Indian tribe, stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of the pueblo people and a call to action for future generations to continue the fight for self-determination and cultural preservation. The exhibit, New Mexico’s pueblos have a history with the federal government unlike any other American Indian tribe, is a must see.