Acoma Indians

Acoma Indians are a tribe a Pueblo Indians who have occupied Acoma, New Mexico for the past thousand years. In 1598, a number of soldiers who were on an exploratory mission under the command of Juan de Zoldivar returned with reinforcements to punish the people of the mesa. The invaders were armed with cannons, and when the smoke of the battle had cleared, five hundred Indians were dead and their town lay in ruins. The Acomas, rebuilt and in 1628 Father Fray Juan Ramirez extended a hand of friendship. He lived with the Indians for more than two decades and during this period built a church. On Ramirez' death in 1664, the whole Pueblo nation rose against the Spaniards and the mission was destroyed. After the revolt, the Acoma rebuilt the church, which remains to this day.