Oñate Searches Beyond San Juan

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
To Juan de Oñate, San Juan Pueblo -- called Ohke by its residents -- seemed like the ideal spot to settle.
He and his small advance detachment had reached the pueblo on July 11, 1598, and the natives had received the group graciously, or at least with forbearance.
But there was so much yet to see that Oñate could not restrain his wanderlust. Still in July, he set out to explore the north, first visiting the large pueblo of Picuris.
A short distance away the exhilarated horsemen came upon the pueblo of Tayberon. How that pueblo acquired the name Taos has been attributed to an ornament some of its residents wore that resembled the Greek letter Tau, or the letter T.
Oñate backtracked south to San Ildefonso and San Marcos pueblos.
This area was home to Doña Ines, whom Oñate had brought north with him as an interpreter.
Doña Ines had been impressed by Gaspar Castaño de Sosa, who illegally entered New Mexico in 1590. She was taken to New Spain with Castaño's group when he was arrested by Juan de Morlete.
But Doña Ines either refused to cooperate or had forgotten her native Tano language when brought back by Oñate.
On Aug. 10 the governor was back at San Juan.
The day after arriving, he imposed a levy on the surrounding villages for a work force either to build or to expand on an irrigation canal, since the natives already had canals. Whether the work was finished was not reported on the itinerary that mentioned the task.
On Aug. 18, the long-awaited train of carts, settlers and livestock finally arrived at San Juan escorted by Juan de Zaldivar, who had been sent back by his uncle to lead those who had been left behind.
The trip had been a very disheartening experience for many of the travelers, who were suffering from frustration, intense heat and even hunger.
Some were very disgruntled, especially Captain Pablo de Aguilar, who had been threatened with arrest and execution for an earlier insubordination.
On Aug. 20, a conspiracy to desert the expedition was uncovered.
Oñate was in favor of drastic punishment, but once again he was dissuaded by cooler heads, who argued that the entire expedition was together for the first time in months and that there was much urgent work to do.
Construction on a church was begun on Aug. 23, a project that captured everybody's attention. Some expressed hope that the project would help everyone forget their complaints and squabbles.
And it did seem to help.
Two weeks later the church was completed and blessed, and a great celebration was held complete with a mock battle between "Moors and Christians" and a play late in the afternoon.
After much reveling, which probably went late into the night, the camp slept well.
NEXT: Trouble and hope.

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