Texas History

Fort Burrows

2.4 - The Puebloan People

Main Idea

The Indians of the Puebloan cultures lived in Western Texas and shared a similar way of live.

Vocabulary

pueblos – large structures built for many families to live in; also means town

adobe – a mix of wet clay and straw, shaped into bricks and dried in the sun

kiva( KEE-vuh ) – a large room used for meetings and/or religious ceremonies

Setting the Scene

In 1535, Cabeza de Vaca, our daddy, entered a Jumano village. He and his men were the 1st Europeans to be seen by the Indians. The Indians stayed inside their homes. All were seated with their faces turned toward the wall, their head down, their hair pulled over their eyes, and their property piled-up in the middle of the house. The real reason why this happened is not known, but it was believed that the Indians thought the Spaniards were gods.

( see map on page 42 )

THE PUEBLOAN INDIANS
HOUSES / FARMS
JUMANOS / Adobe pueblos / Corn, beans, squash
CONCHOS / Huts covered with grass or animal skins / Corn, beans, squash
TIGUAS / Adobe pueblos / Corn, beans, squash

Pueblo Indians ( Jumano )

the Jumanos established villages between the Pecos River and the Rio Grande

Jumanos lived in large structures called pueblos

they became skilled farmers in a desert region

they used the river to irrigate their crops. Drought, periods with little or no rain, made growing crops difficult

Jumanos traded with many of the Plains Indians

Jumanos were among the first Texas Indians to have horses

Jumanos were called the “striped people”, by the Spaniards, because they painted horizontal stripes on their faces

men cut their hair short except for one long lock, used to attach feathers

women wore long, braided hair

the Apaches ended the Jumanos’ trade and drove them toward the Rio Grande

Their Beliefs- The most highly developed Indians were communities of the Southwest and built large villages or pueblos at the top of the mesas. The archetypal deities ( an idealized object or concept that they wanted to emulate or copy ) appear as visionary beings who bring blessings and receive love. A vast collection of myths defines the relationships between man and nature and plants and animals. Man depended on the blessings of the gods, who in turn depended on prayers and ceremonies.

The Concho Indians

most Concho Indians lived in Mexico, Southeast of Presidio, across the Rio Grande

the Conchos and the Jumanos were allies

the Spaniards used the Concho and Jumanos as ‘slaves’ in their gold $ silver mines

only one band of Conchos, the Chizos, lived in Texas

the Conchos were hunters and farmers

they made sandals out of plant fibers for their feet

they may have grown cotton and woven cotton clothing

they lived in huts that were covered with grass or animal skins

they painted their faces and bodies, and sometimes decorated their hair with feathers

the Conchos disappeared in the late 1600s;some historians believe they merged with the Jumanos and others believe they may have died out from diseases carried by the Spanish

The Tiguas ( te-waz )

In the 1600s, the Tigua Indians refused to join a revolt against the Spanish. Other Pueblo peoples turned against them. About 300 Tiguas went with the Spanish when they left New Mexico. They settled along the Rio Grande at a place called Ysleta, ( ees-LEH-tah ) or Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. Ysleta was the first permanent town in Texas.It is just west of the Guadalupe Mountains. Today, it is part of El Paso ( ‘the pass’ ).

the oldest group of Native Americans still living in Texas today

Tiguas farmed and hunted small game;men cleared the fields and women & children planted seeds and tended the crops

they made pottery from clay

Ysleta had a kiva, a large room used for meeting and religious ceremonies

the Tigua adopted the Roman Catholic religion, which they blended with their own religious practices

Corpus Christi de la Ysleta Mission, established in 1682, by Antonio de Otermin & Fray Francisco de Ayeta

1. What was the effect of the Tiguas’ decision not to take part in the revolt against the Spanish?

A. Spain gave them gold in appreciation

B. they had to become Roman Catholics

C. the Spanish won the battle

D. the Pueblo peoples turned against them

2. What is a kiva?

A. a meeting of Puebloan tribes

B. a large room used for meetings and religious ceremonies

C. the chief of a Pueblo town

D. a sharp tool used by the Pueblo Indians

3.What set the Pueblo cultures apart from other Native Americans?

______

4.How did the Jumanos get enough food in their desert climate?

______

5.How were the Conchos similar to the Jumanos?

______

6.How did the Tiguas grow their crops?

______

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