The so-called "reconquest" did not mean a reinstatement
of military and religious oppression to the level experienced
before the revolt.
The threat of rebellion, however, was never very far from
the minds of the people who, over more time, became mingled
by blood and community. The difference was that now both
nativeborn Hispanos and Indians directed their animosity
toward external forces, which some believed sought to usurp
the system of land grants here.
This came to ahead during a January day in 1847 when a
combined band of Indian and Mexican rebels attacked the
home of United States Territorial Gov. Charles Bent, killing
him and other Americans. After fleeing to the San Geronimo
Church at Taos Pueblo, the rebels suffered swift retaliation
by American military cannon fire. Dozens lay dead and injured.
The surviving rebels were quickly tried and hanged.
Once the American presence was established, the land grant
system was addressed by a new Land Claims Commission. But
the legal entanglements to settle who owned what would drag
on for decades.
The Taos Indians nearly did lose forever their claim to
the sacred Blue Lake in the mountains above their home.
In 1916, President Theodore Roosevelt signed a law creating
the Carson National Forest, which encompassed the hallowed
area. This was an intolerable situation, which the Taos
Indians fought against for nearly 60 years, until President
Richard Nixon signed legislation giving back the Blue Lake
watershed.
Today, visitors are allowed to walk amid the adobe buildings
led by knowledgeable tour guides who will talk about the
vivid history tied to this place. But do not think for a
moment that this is a preserved relic from the past. The
Taos Indians, like their Picuris brothers, continue to live
in their ancestral village. At Taos, residents use the water
flowing through the creek for drinking and cooking.
Tourism has become a double-edged sword for these villages
- especially Taos - where literally hundreds of thousands
of visitors from all over the world have traveled to see
the Pueblo.
The village plazas at both Taos and Picuris are where many
ceremonial activities still take place according to a cycle
observed year in and year out. At Picuris, the feast day
of San Lorenzo is celebrated Aug. 10, while at Taos Pueblo,
tribal members celebrate San Geronimo Day on Sept. 30.
This is where the spirit of home and family remains vital
and nourished.
