The Jemez Pueblo in north-central New Mexico stands as the last remaining pueblo of the Towa-speaking people, embodying a rich tapestry of history, resilience, and vibrant culture. Pronounced “Hay-mess,” the Jemez Pueblo originated from an ancient homeland they called “Hua-na-tota” in Largo Canyon, northwestern New Mexico, where they thrived for at least 1,000 years before migrating south in the 14th century to the southwestern Jemez Mountains.
Primarily an agricultural society, the Jemez people adeptly combined farming with essential hunting and gathering practices, establishing a deeply rooted connection to their ancestral lands.
Early Encounters and the Powerful Jemez Nation
The first documented European encounter with the Jemez occurred in 1541, when Spanish Conquistador Francisco Vazquez de Coronado’s extensive expedition, comprising 500 soldiers and 2,000 Indian allies from New Spain, ventured into the region. At this time, the Jemez Nation was recognized as one of the largest and most powerful of the Puebloan cultures, commanding more than 40 villages strategically positioned on high mountain mesas and within surrounding canyons, including the present-day pueblo of Walatowa.
These ancient villages were formidable stone-built fortresses, many containing over 500 rooms, with some boasting as many as 3,000 rooms and reaching four stories high. They were often miles apart, featuring hundreds of smaller, one- to two-room field houses used as seasonal base camps for sustenance activities. Spiritual leaders, medicine people, war chiefs, craftsmen, the elderly, and those with disabilities resided in the larger pueblos year-round, ensuring their protection.
The Jemez developed an impressive military society, establishing impenetrable barriers among the cliffs to safeguard springs, religious sites, and trail systems, while also monitoring for invading enemies. Their formidable reputation often led other tribal groups to seek their assistance in resolving hostile disputes. While searching for the fabled Seven Cities of Gold, Coronado and his men did not engage aggressively with the large and powerful pueblo.
Subsequent Spanish expeditions, such as the Rodriquez-Chamuscado Expedition in 1581 and the Espejo Expedition in 1583, further documented the extensive presence of the Jemez. By 1583, the Jemez Nation was estimated to comprise approximately 30,000 tribal members living throughout San Diego Canyon, highlighting their significant demographic and territorial influence.
Spanish Colonization and Enduring Resistance
In 1598, Don Juan de Onate formally claimed New Mexico for the Spanish crown, initiating a new era of colonization. A detachment from the first colonized expedition soon visited the Jemez, and Father Alonzo de Lugo, a Franciscan priest, was assigned the task of missionizing the Province of Jemez. During this period, Jemez villages were consolidated into three primary pueblos: Astialakawa, Patoqua, and Giusewa.
Giusewa, meaning “place of boiling waters” in Towa, was situated near hot springs and served as the largest of the three ancestral villages, with an estimated population of 500-800. It consisted of around 350 small, square rooms constructed from volcanic tuff masonry and adobe, featuring terraced, flat earthen roofs that formed two- to three-story room blocks clustered around several square plazas.
Fray Alonzo de Lugo oversaw the construction of the area’s first church at the Jemez Pueblo of Giusewa, along with a small convento. However, Lugo and most other Franciscan missionaries departed New Mexico by 1601, likely in protest of Oñate’s violent and authoritarian policies towards the Pueblo peoples. By 1610, the mission was abandoned, and the Jemez had dispersed to fortified pueblos located on high, inaccessible mesas, a testament to their ongoing resistance.
In approximately 1621, Fray Gerónimo de Zárate Salmerón was appointed as the next missionary. He endeavored to gather and convert the dispersed population, initiating the construction of the large mission church of San José de Giusewa between 1621 and 1622. Around 1623-1625, the church sustained damage from a fire during a Navajo raid, prompting the Jemez to once again seek refuge in the mountains. This persistent “forced” conversion proved challenging, leading Fray Alonso Benavides to describe the site in 1626 as “one of the most indomitable and belligerent of the whole kingdom.”
The Spanish, undeterred, sent Fray Martin de Arvide in 1628. He completed the mission’s rebuilding 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. Arvide was transferred to Zuni in 1632, where he was subsequently killed. In the ensuing years, the Jemez largely remained at Walatowa, continuing to resist attempts at Christianization by successive friars assigned to the mission at Giusewa. Today, the Giusewa church ruins and village are preserved as the historic Jemez State Monument, a significant archaeological site.
The Pueblo Revolt and the Spanish Reconquest
By 1680, rising hostilities culminated in the historic Great Pueblo Revolt, a monumental event that saw the Spanish expelled from New Mexico through the strategic and collaborative efforts of all the Puebloan Nations. This singular achievement marked the first and only successful revolt in the United States where a suppressive colonial power was ousted from its territory. Despite this victory, the arduous wartime efforts and European-introduced diseases tragically decimated the population of the Jemez.
The Spanish began their reconquest of New Mexico by 1688 under the leadership of General Pedro Reneros de Posada, acting Governor. The Pueblos of Santa Ana and Zia were initially subdued, and by 1692, Santa Fe was back in Spanish hands under Governor Diego de Vargas.
Meanwhile, the Jemez had fled to a mesa situated between the San Diego and Guadalupe Canyons. From this vantage point, they launched invasions against the pro-Spanish Pueblos of Zia and Santa Ana in 1693. In July 1694, de Vargas led an attack on the Jemez, resulting in the deaths of 84 men and the capture of 361 women and children, who were subsequently taken to Santa Fe. The captives were returned to Walatowa in 1695, where they were tasked with building a new mission church under the supervision of Fray Francisco de Jesús. However, the construction of this new church, initially dedicated to San Juan de los Jemez, was abandoned when Jemez warrior Luis Cunixu killed Fray Jesús in 1696. The Jemez once again sought refuge in the mountains, though many returned within a few years.
Despite these tumultuous events, the Jemez Nation remained under the rule of the clergy and military, with the people compelled to relocate to the Village of Walatowa. Crucially, the Spanish did not persecute their culture and traditions to the same extent as before, which allowed the Jemez to preserve many aspects of their way of life. This perseverance ultimately meant that numerous significant ancestral sites outside the Pueblo, now on federal land, ceased to be controlled by the Jemez, forming some of the most important archaeological ruins in the United States.
The Walatowa Community and Pecos Pueblo Merger
Construction of the church at Walatowa resumed by 1706, now dedicated to San Diego. Though Apache raiders destroyed the church in 1709, it was subsequently rebuilt and fully operational by 1744. Fray Francisco Atanasio Domínguez, upon visiting Walatowa, described it with meticulous detail:
“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.”
A significant event in Jemez Pueblo history occurred in 1838 when survivors of Pecos Pueblo, a once-mighty trading center then in ruins, joined the Jemez community. These Towa-speaking people from Pecos, located east of Santa Fe, resettled at the Pueblo of Jemez to escape the increasing depredations of both the Spanish and Comanche cultures. They were readily welcomed, and the Pecos culture was rapidly integrated into Jemez Society. Nearly a century later, in 1936, the Jemez and Pecos people were legally merged into a single entity by an Act of Congress, solidifying their shared heritage and future.
Modern Jemez Pueblo: Enduring Culture and Self-Governance
In the latter half of the 20th century, many Jemez Pueblo residents transitioned from traditional agriculture to wage-earning work. However, the pueblo continues to cultivate chili peppers, corn, and wheat, maintaining vital ties to their ancestral farming practices. The Jemez are also internationally recognized for their exquisite arts and crafts, which include elaborately polished and engraved bowls, distinctive wedding vases, intricate figurines, beautiful basketry, detailed embroidery, finely woven cloths, exquisite stone sculptures, moccasins, and captivating jewelry.
Today, the Jemez is a federally recognized tribe with approximately 3,400 members, the majority 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, framed by stunning, colorful red sandstone mesas. The region serves as a gateway to the Cañon de San Diego and the Jémez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway, with nearby attractions including the Jemez Red Rocks Recreation Area, Jemez Springs, and the Jemez State Monument.
The Pueblo of Jemez operates as an independent, sovereign nation, complete with its own government and tribal court system. The Tribal Government consists of the Tribal Council, the Jemez Governor, two Lieutenant Governors, two fiscales (government revenue officers), and a sheriff. Notably, the second Lieutenant Governor also serves as the governor of the Pueblo of Pecos, reflecting their merged heritage. Traditional matters are managed through a separate governing body rooted in prehistory, which includes revered spiritual and society leaders, a War Captain, and a Lieutenant War Captain.
The Jemez have remarkably retained their cultural traditions and practices unchanged since pre-Spanish times, incorporating and preserving the culture and traditions of the Pecos Pueblo. The Jemez people also continue to speak the Towa language, a cornerstone of their identity. The community remains largely agriculturally self-sufficient, with many residences maintaining small gardens for cultivating native vegetables such as beans, corn, chile, and squash.
Visiting Jemez Pueblo
While the pueblo itself is generally closed to the public, exceptions are made during significant feast days, when traditional dances are held throughout the year. The public is warmly welcomed at the “Nuestra Señora de Los Ángeles Feast Day de Los Persingula” on August 2nd and the “San Diego Feast Day” on November 12th. Additional public events 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 rich educational experience. Here, visitors can explore a reconstructed traditional Jémez field house, a captivating photo exhibit, a well-stocked gift shop, insightful cultural exhibits, a serene nature walk, and an interpretive program. The Jemez Pueblo is conveniently situated 27 miles northwest of Bernalillo on New Mexico Highway 44, nestled within the southern end of the majestic San Diego Canyon.
Conclusion
The Jemez Pueblo stands as a powerful testament to the enduring spirit and rich heritage of the Towa-speaking people. From their ancient origins in Largo Canyon to their complex interactions with Spanish colonizers and their ultimate triumph in preserving their unique cultural identity, the Jemez story is one of profound resilience. Today, Walatowa thrives as a sovereign nation, safeguarding its traditions, language, and the vibrant arts that define its community. It remains a crucial historical and cultural site, inviting those who visit to experience a living legacy rooted deeply in the heart of New Mexico.
