Pueblos Greet Oñate With Generosity, Information

The Journal is publishing a biweekly series of history articles to commemorate the settlement of New Mexico by Juan de Oñate in 1598. This one covers Oñate's entrance into northern New Mexico in June and July 1598.

By Miguel Encinias
For the Journal
Juan de Oñate returned to his small group of scouts camped near what is now San Marcial in Socorro County after trying with limited results to settle discontent in the main body of the expedition, which was approaching from the south.
Oñate and his party -- his nephews Vicente and Juan de Zaldivar, Father Alonso Martinez and Capitán Diego de Zubia -- didn't wait and resumed the northward trek. The light party arrived at the pueblo of Teypana on June 14, 1598, where they received a most gracious welcome.
Chief Letoc was not only very generous with his corn, but he also provided the Spaniards with valuable information about the land and people up ahead.
In gratitude they named the pueblo "Socorro," or "help," a name the village has today.
Four leagues of travel took them to a pueblo they baptized Nueva Sevilla. There, a halt was called while the Zaldivar brothers explored the area of Abo, to the northeast.
On June 21, after another short leg, they arrived at a newly built pueblo they named San Juan Bautista. The natives had abandoned it so quickly that they left behind a large store of maize and many art objects.
Oñate and his party camped at the pueblo, and for recreation conducted the "Moros y Cristianos" pageant.
Curiosity brought the natives back to watch the mock battle of "Moors and Christians." Among them was an Indian who went up to Oñate and recited the words "jueves, viernes, sabado, domingo" -- the Spanish words for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The Spaniards did not know what to make of it, feeling that perhaps the man was mocking them. The native said no more until he saw that the newcomers were getting angry.
Then he uttered two more words -- "Tomas, Cristobal" -- and pointed north.
The Spaniards soon understood from others who joined the strange conversation that the names referred to two Indians who had come from Mexico with Gaspar Castaño de Sosa and had stayed behind when the renegade explorer was taken back in chains by Juan de Morlete.
Oñate was so elated at the news -- which meant that he would have two good interpreters -- that he decided to hurry on to Puaray, a large pueblo in the area of modern Bernalillo hoping to find them there.
When he arrived at Puaray on the June 27, he was told the would-be interpreters were living at Guipui (Santo Domingo). When Captain Zubia found the two Mexican Indians they were in bed, but they went willingly to meet Oñate at Puaray, with a purpose.
They told the general that they were married, had children and were not willing to go back to New Spain.
The governor told them he had no intention to force them to go back, but only needed their help in getting to know the area natives better.
After visiting Zia and San Felipe pueblos, Oñate convoked a council at Santo Domingo of the seven chiefs he had already met so they could pledge allegiance to the Spanish king.
Next on the itinerary was Bove, which the Spanish named San Ildefonso, and San Marcos.
On July 11 the tiny troop reached Okhe, which Oñate would name San Juan de los Caballeros because of the gentlemen he encountered there. It was near San Juan that he would establish his capital.
As Gaspar de Villagrá says in his epic poem, "Historia de la Nueva Mexico": "At the end of adventures and events and times of sorrow, misadventures too, happy and in great pleasure (they) did arrive at a fine pueblo, well laid out, to which they gave the name San Juan, and 'de los caballeros.' ... Here all the Indians with pleasure did share their houses with our folk. And when, all lodged and settled down, we were endeavoring to be good neighbors."
NEXT: Canals and a church

Miguel Encinias is an Albuquerque historian. His novel, "Two Lives for Oñate," was published this year by the University of New Mexico Press.