AD 1540: The Zuni resist a conquistador but retreat from Spanish guns

The Spanish conquistador Francisco Vasquez de Coronado seeks the “Seven Cities of Gold.” At Hawikuh, a Zuni pueblo in what is now known as Arizona, his expedition interrupts summer ceremonies. The Zuni have already killed a conquistador, Cabeza de Vaca, for abusing Zuni women. They shoot arrows at Coronado as he recites the Requierimento, the Spanish demand for submission—but Coronado’s guns overpower the Zuni.

Coronado and his expedition of 300 Spanish soldiers, 1,000 Tlaxcalan Indian slaves, and herds of livestock move through the Southwest from what is now known as Arizona to what is now known as Kansas. The conquistador’s livestock, notably the horses, first serve as an unfamiliar threat to intimidate Native peoples. Yet the horses, sheep, and cattle make a lasting impression on Native peoples, who incorporate the animals into Native cultures.

Theme

Land and Water, Native Rights

Region

Great Basin, Great Plains, Southwest