Early Spanish explorers believed the Zuni villages to be the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola (the Spanish word for “buffalo” and consequently for any buffalo-hunting Indians). Rumors of Native cities filled with great riches in this Kingdom of Cibola had spread in the 16th century, soon after the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
Frey Marcos de Niza, a Franciscan monk, set out with a contingent of soldiers and Indian bearers in 1539 to look for Cibola. He also took with him a black man from Barbary named Estevanico (Estebanico), sometimes called Estevan (Esteban) the Moor. Estevanico had had earlier experience dealing with Indians. He had participated in Cabeza de Vaca’s expedition of 1528—36, which had met up with many Native peoples along the Gulf of Mexico from Texas to northern Mexico. Some of the Indians thought the tall, dark-skinned Estevanico was a god. He wore ribbons, badges, feathers, rattles, and bells to call attention to himself. Marcos de Niza sent him ahead with a scouting party to offer presents to any Indians he met in the hope of winning them over.
Zuni men, angered by Estevanico’s arrogance, attacked and killed him. A messenger reported the incident to Marcos de Niza. The monk decided to proceed to see for himself whether these Indian cities were truly the Kingdom of Cibola. He advanced far enough to see Hawikuh, one of the Zuni pueblos. From a distance, the reddish brown adobe buildings must have glistened in
Zuni buffalo-head altar carving
Zuni kachina mask of painted leather, showing earth and sky beings the sunlight like gold, because Marcos de Niza returned to Mexico claiming he had found Cibola.
The following year, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado organized an expedition to conquer Cibola and claim its vast riches. To Coronado’s disappointment, the Seven Cities of Cibola turned out to be ordinary Indian pueblos without streets of gold or abundant jewels. After having defeated the Zuni in battle, Coronado pushed northeastward, still in search of wealth. On hearing rumors of the wealthy Kingdom of Quivira, Coronado explored as far north as Kansas. During his travels, he encountered many tribes, such as the WICHITA, and recorded information about them. He never made his fortune, however, and died in obscurity in Mexico City.
Other Spanish explorers visited the Zuni: Francisco Chamuscado in 1580; Antonio de Espejo in 1583; and Juan de Onate, the colonizer of New Mexico, in 1598. The Spanish established their first mission in Zuni territory at Hawikuh in 1629. In 1632, the Zuni attacked and killed the missionaries. In 1672, APACHE warriors raided Hawikuh and forced the abandonment of the mission.
The Zuni participated in the Pueblo Rebellion of 1680. At that time, the Zuni lived in only three pueblos of their original seven—Halona (Halona: itiwanna), Matsa: Kya, and Kyakima. Villagers from three pueblos fled to a stronghold on the mesa known as Corn Mountain to defend themselves from the Spanish troops approaching under Don Diego de Vargas. The Spanish negotiated with them to return to their village at Halona. Although a new church was built there in 1699, it was abandoned by the Missionaries in the 1800s, who were for the most part unable to win over converts among the Zuni.
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