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Tewa Indian Tribe History
Tewa
('moccasins,' their Keresan name). A group of Pueblo tribes
belonging to the Tanoan linguistic family, now occupying the
villages of San Ildefonso, San Juan, Santa Clara, Nambe,
Tesuque, and Hano, all except the last lying in the valley of
the Rio Grande in north New Mexico. The pueblo of Hano, in the
Hopi country of north east Arizona, dates from the time of the
Pueblo revolt of 1680-92. Pojoaque was inhabited by Tewa until a
few years ago, when intermarriage with Mexicans and the death of
the few full-bloods made it practically a Mexican settlement. It
had been supposed that the Tano, an offshoot of the Tewa in
prehistoric times, spoke a dialect distinct from that of the
Tewa, but recent studies by John P. Harrington show that the
differences are so slight as to be negligible. In 1598 Juan de
Ciliate named 11 of the Tewa pueblos and stated that there were
others; 30 years later Fray Alonzo Benavides reported the
population to be 6,000 in 8 pueblos. The population of the
present 6 villages is about 1,200, San Juan, the largest, having
419, and Tesuque, the smallest, 86 inhabitants.
Each village of the Tewa is divided into two sections,
the Winter people and the Summer people. According to Bandelier,
"the dignity of chief penitent or cacique belongs alternately to
each of these two groups. Thus the Summer cacique serves from
the vernal equinox to the autumnal, and the Winter cacique from
the autumnal to the vernal equinox. On very important occasions,
however, the Oyiké or Winter
cacique is inferior to his colleague." Little is yet known of
the social organization and religious institutions of the Tewa
people, but there is evidence that at Nambe and Tesuque, at
least, descent is reckoned in the male line, and that at the
latter pueblo the law prohibiting marriage of persons belonging
to the same clan is no longer strictly enforced.
Following are the villages formerly occupied by the
Tewa, so far as the names have been recorded or applied:
Abechiu, Agawano, Analco, Axol, Camitria, Chipiinuinge, Chipiwi,
Chupadero, Cuyamunque, Fejiu, Fesere, Homayo, Houiri, Ihamba,
Jacona, Junetre, Kaayu, Keguayo, Kuapooge, Kwengyauinge, Luceros
(partially), Navahu, Navawi, Otowi, Perage, Pininicangwi,
Pojiuuingge, Pojoagne, Ponyinumba, Ponyipakuen, Poseuingge,
Potzuye, Pueblito, Pueblo Quemado (?), Puye, Sajiuwingge,
Sakeyu, Sandia (not the Tigua pueblo of that name), Santa Cruz, Sepawi, Shufinne, Teeuinggee, Tejeuingge Ouiping, Tobhipangge,
Triapi, Triaque, Troomaxiaquino, Tsankawi, Tsawarii, Tseweige,
Tshirege, Yugeningge.
The following extinct villages were either Tewa or Tano:
Chiuma, Guia, Guika, Peñas
Negras.
The following were inhabited by either the Tigua or the
Tewa: Axoytre, Camitre, Paniete, Piamato, Quioyaco.
The books presented are for their
historical value only and are not the
opinions of the Webmasters of the site.
Handbook
of American Indians, 1906
Index of Tribes or Nations
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