Jicarilla (Mexican
Spanish: `little basket'). An Athapascan tribe, first so
called by Spaniards because of their expertness in making
vessels of basketry. They apparently formed a part of the
Vaqueros of early Spanish chronicles, although, according to
their creation legend, they have occupied from the earliest
period the mountainous region of southeast Colorado and
northern New Mexico, their range at various periods
extending eastward to western Kansas and Oklahoma, and into
northwest Texas. The Arkansas, Rio Grande, and Canadian
Rivers figure in their genesis myth (Mooney in Am. Anthrop.,
xi, 200, 1898), but their traditions seem to center about
Taos and the heads of Arkansas River. They regard the
kindred Mescaleros and also the
Navaho as enemies, and, according to Mooney, their alliances and blood
mixture have been with the Ute and Taos.
In language they are more closely related to the
Mescaleros than to the Navaho or the Arizona Apache. The Jicarillas were
first mentioned by this name early in the 18th century. Later, their
different bands were designated Carlanes, Calchufines, Quartelejos, etc.,
after their habitat or chieftains. The Spaniards established a mission
among there within a few leagues of Taos, N. Alex., in 1733, which
prospered for only a short time. They were regarded as a worthless people
by both the Spanish settlers of New Mexico and their American successors,
in raids for plunder the worst Apache tribes, more treacherous and
cruel and less brave and energetic warriors than the Ute, but equally fond
of intoxicants.
While they sometimes planted on a small scale, they
regarded theft as a natural means of support. The governor of New Mexico
in 1853 induced 250 of the tribe to settle on Rio Puerco, but failure to
ratify the treaty caused them to go on the warpath, maintaining hostility
until their defeat by United States troops in 1854. Henceforward they were
nominally at peace, although committing many petty thefts. In 1870 they
resided on the Maxwell grant in northeast New Mexico, the sale of which
necessitated their removal.
In 1872 and again in 1878 an attempt was made to move
them south to Ft Stanton, but most of them were permitted to go to the
Tierra Amarilla, on the northern confines of the territory on a
reservation of 900 sq. m. set aside in 1874.
Their annuities being suspended in 1878 on
account of their refusal to move southward in accordance with an act of
Congress of that year, they resorted to thieving. In 1880 the act of 1878
was repealed, and a new reservation was set aside on the Rio Navajo, to
which they were removed. Here they remained until 1883, when they were
transferred to Ft Stanton, but in 1887 were again returned to the
reservation set a side for them in the Tierra Amarilla region by Executive
order of Feb. 11 of that year, where they have since resided. On this
reservation 129,313.35 acres have been allotted to the Indians, and 280.44
acres reserved for mission, school, and agency purposes; the remainder,
comprising 280,400 acres, is unalotted. Their population in 1905 was 795.
The present divisions of the Jicarilla, as recorded by Mooney (JMS., B. A.
E., 1897 ), are: Apatsiltlizhihi, Dachizhozhin, Golkahin, Ketsilind, and
Saitinde.
