Kachina and the Cross (35 page)

Read Kachina and the Cross Online

Authors: Carroll L Riley

Tags: #History, #Native American, #United States, #State & Local, #Southwest (AZ; NM; OK; TX), #Social Science, #Anthropology, #General, #Ethnic Studies, #Native American Studies, #test

BOOK: Kachina and the Cross
11.18Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
Page 172
Be that as it may, these accusations infuriated the missionaries, and they struck back, accusing López of sexual liaisons with Pueblo women, mestizo servants, and with wives of settlers. Some he had raped! Certain of these affairs, López cheerfully and rather proudly admitted, listing several of his conquests, though he denied raping anyone. In statements to the Inquisitors, López confessed to having sexual relationships with Ana Rodriguez, the daughter of Alonso Rodriguez, who had close ties with the Anaya family. Ana may have been single at this point, but she soon married Captain Ambrosio Sáez of La Cafiada. Another conquest of López was Gerónima Anaya, wife of the younger Francisco de Anaya Almazán, brother of López's loyal captain, Cristóbal de Anaya. López also had an affair with Petrona, daughter of Juan de Gamboa, perhaps at the lady's instigation, an assignation that produced a child. López also admitted other affairs, including one with a mestiza woman named Teresa. In all this, López simply followed the lax morals of the time. If Doña Teresa actually did use love potions, it would be understandable given her husband's casual infidelities.
The missionaries were understandably upset by the governor's interference with the considerable free labor they had been receiving from their Indian parishioners. They argued that without such labor they were unable to till the fields and tend the mission flocks of sheep and cattle. They were also unable to process the goods that went to Mexico, especially cotton and wool products and piñon nuts, trade goods that were often used to buy equipment for the church and convent. For example, sale of piñon nuts had recently financed a fine organ at the pueblo of Abó.
Important as these things were to the clergy, they were essentially technical matters of the division of power between the civil and ecclesiastical authorities. Far more basic, and to Franciscan eyes much more ominous, was the interference by the governor and his alcaldes mayores in the area of missionization, and especially in the continuing practice of native religion. As indicated earlier, there is some evidence that a sort of "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding the kiva ceremonies of the Pueblos had characterized much of the mission activity through the first six decades of Christianization. By the late 1650s, the missionaries were beginning to tighten the screws. With growing numbers of Christianized and Hispanicized Indians, there was an increasing tendency to outlaw any overtly pagan ceremony. And it was just these ceremonies, lumped by the Spaniards under the name
catzinas
(kachinas), that López now decided to allow, and in some cases even to sponsor.
What the governor had in mind is not entirely clear, but it seems as if he really considered these Indian masked dances to be a harmless folk tradition of the sort that he and his wife had most likely witnessed in Mexico, South
Page 173
America, and Europe. López's activities in regard to native ceremonialism and the missionaries' reaction take up many pages in the trial and other official transcripts of the later Inquisition hearings. In one way, we can thank the methodical recordkeeping, especially of the Inquisitors, for a flood of information about Pueblo religious practices and beliefs. Many of these data are difficult to interpret, but they do give an unprecedented window on Pueblo life at mid-century.
Fray Nicolás de Freitas, in a January 1661 deposition, divided the kachina dances into two main ceremonies: (I) a direct invocation to the devil by the "false priests" who perform a ritual and offer the fruits of the earth, and (2) a ceremony "with less solemnity but much superstition, in which fathers have intercourse with daughters, sons with mothers, and brothers with sisters, no attention being paid to relationships." He goes on to describe the dances:
Prior to performing the first variety of the dance, the Indians fast two or three days, and when the fast is ended then comes the day of the dance. They then put on the face a sort of domino, or mask, made with a small hole [probably two eyeholes] through they can see a little. The masks are made of cloth, or of elk skin. They also wear other masks stained black. Those who put on the masks are the most idolatrous. Before going out in public they try them on in the council rooms [kivas] which they have underground. When they come out in public, one of them puts in place where the dance is to be performed the offerings of the things already mentioned. The other dancers perform the dance about it, using a language which is not understood, even by the Indians themselves; or if they do, they are willing to say only that it is the language of the devil. Asked to what end they perform these dances, they say it is to obtain the women they desire, and that the devil gives her to them. Or, they say it is for the purpose of asking him for corn or for other specific purposes. Some of them taking palm leaves, cruelly beat, until the blood flows, this or that one of the dancers who wishes to make this blood sacrifice to the devil. They all become so frenzied that they appear beside themselves, though no drinking has taken place whereby they may have become intoxicated. Sometimes they go from this dance and enter any house which they wish and take pleasure from any Indian woman they desire. In the second variety of this dance there is no fasting; sometimes there is the ritualistic performance already mentioned, but always with the masks on. They perform the dance while singing in that unknown tongue. After dancing they go to whatever house they will, and have intercourse with women of the near relationship mentioned.
A few weeks later Freitas commented that López de Mendizábal had allowed the dances to be held on a hill near Isleta. He then basically repeated the description of the dances given above.
Page 174
In a deposition in September 1660, Fray Nicolás de Chávez stated that:
He had heard it said publicly in New Mexico that Don Bernardo López de Mendizábal had given his permission for the Christian Indians to perform their ancient and modern dances, among them that of the
catzinas
, which is a dance of the heathen in which the Indians dress themselves in peculiar garments, concealing only their private parts, smearing their entire bodies with earth, and covering their faces with masks like hoods, leaving only a small hole through which they can see a little. Only the men perform this dance, and when they dance it some of them beat the others with palm leaves over their entire bodies until they draw blood; they then go from house to house, entering them and bringing out with blows the Indian women, whom they carry away terrified and frightened to see those demoniac figures to certain rooms which they call
estufas
[kivas], which are underground. There the men and women have sexual intercourse in bestial fashion, fathers with daughters, brothers with sisters, and mothers with sons.
Fray Diego de Santander on November 30, 1660, quoted Don Esteban Clemente, the Indian governor of Las Salinas and Tanos, who wrote in the missionary's presence:
I certify and make oath that some [of the Indians] have very ugly painted masks; certain of the Indians put them on and go to dance in them, and make the people think they come from the other life to speak to them. There are other dances in which they fast; they fast as many days as they can, and afterward the one who has fasted distributes some feathers to those whom he knows, who are the fortunate ones. On the day on which the
catzinas
are to be danced they sweep the plaza of the pueblo, and the faster, as an acolyte, places on the ground some feathers and flour, and he who fasted stands upon it; they do the same thing when they reach the north, west and south sides of the pueblo. Then they lead him to an underground room to give him certain drinks; all this they do in order to have good fortune and to be brave. There are other dances called
catzinas
, in which many people come out with masks on, to dance in the costume of men and women, all of them being men. The purpose for which they do this is not known. They perform other dances, in which they worship an idol, and each one offers him whatever he likes, and they set up an altar. These are the
catzinas
which I know to be evil, although I have heard that there are others; but as I have not verified these superstitions I do not certify more than this.
Santander went on to remark that Clemente was "a very capable interpreter of six Indian languages of this kingdom." Clemente was, indeed, an interesting character. An influential Indian leader, he could read and write as well as speak

Other books

Walk with Care by Patricia Wentworth
The Juliet Stories by Carrie Snyder
Then Summer Came by C. R. Jennings
Twice the Trouble by Dailey, Sandra
A Shadow All of Light by Fred Chappell