It Takes a Village to Defend a Village: Women, Elders, and Children in Indigenous Resistance during the Contact and Colonial Periods of Central New Mexico (1539-1696)

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Warfare and conflict are almost always described in terms of male-centered actions. But it is clear in many cases, such as those during the Contact period in the Western Hemisphere, that conflict often involved entire communities thrown into struggles for their freedom and survival. This was quite evident during the first explorations of the American Southwest by outsiders, principally Spanish-led expeditions. The frequently rebellious nature of these encounters is a prominent feature in written descriptions, as is the complete involvement by all members of impacted societies. While the term “non-combatant” is sometimes used, it was unusual for any remaining members of a community to not be part of their active resistance. Women, elders, and children are often described as having been present at, and in some cases directly participating in, the conflicts that ensued. Examples of these groups and their participation in acts of self-defense and resistance are presented in case studies from central New Mexico for the period starting with the Vázquez de Coronado expedition and ending with the last of the Pueblo Revolts (1539 to 1696).

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• SAA 2024: Individual Abstracts   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38401.0