Jim, what was the attitude of some of the other Indian Nations involved. How did they feel about this?
As far as I know, none took an official position on this request, but I do know the El Paso Tigua are in general opposed to any other Indian groups establishing any kind of official association with Hueco Tanks.
Sigh. It all goes back to 1680. The Christianized portion of the population of Ysleta did not participate in the Pueblo revolt, and fled south along with some Piro to El Paso, where they established a settlement, called Ysleta, naturally. The El Paso Tigua (Tigua means "people") were deeply Christian, and had no ceremonial association with Hueco Tanks as far as is known, though they have a tradition of having done some of the rock art. In fact in recent years they appropriated a striking panel as a revivalist symbol for their Ysleta pueblo which appeared on advertisement for their casino, which was however shut down in a Baptist backlash a few years ago. This particular rock art was almost certainly done by Apaches, not that that matters.
The Tigua were among the Indians who have contributed money to Republican lobbyists and politicians, in the Tigua case hoping to get back their casino, and this kind of complicates the Hueco Tanks situation. At the time Kay was doing her report for the TPWD (the Parks dept) the Tom Delay Republicans were taking this money, on the one hand, and were downsizing the Texas parks, on the other hand. There was some sentiment in Austin to privatize Hueco Tanks by giving it to the Tigua as a tourist attraction.
The Apache have a historic association with Hueco Tanks, and the Kiowa have a tradition of having been chased and besieged there in the course of one of their raiding parties in the 19th century. The Comanche are also known to have rested there during their raids into Mexico. There is little rock-art evidence of any historic Indians except Apaches. Much of the rock art seems to have been done 800-1200 AD as part of kachina-like ceremonies. A lot of the mask figures resemble historic kachinas, but predate them many hundreds of years. Kay thought that Hueco Tanks (or the southern Jornada Mogollon more generally) was where the kachina religion began, and that it spread northward.
Anyway, the situation is odd. Any historic, US government recognized Indians can probably get TPWD approval to conduct ceremony there, but I don't know of any who do, although I have not kept up with this.
Jim, thanks for the history on it.
I see that Kay wrote some papers on Quetzalcoatl and the Jornada Mogollon. I won't be able to dig those papers up but I found online her "Rock Paintings At Hueco Tanks State Historic Site" and look forward to reading that tonight.
Kudos to you, Jim, for bringing this important effort up.
As the writer of the final draft for the grant application, it seems clear to me that TSPW changed the criteria for evaluation after we turned in the findings and report. And Dr. Sutherland was completely correct— religion is reinvented as times change. Oral history tells us to this day, when the conquistadors enslaved and killed Moctezuma, his son Quetemoc sent out an order to hide the teachings, everything, and pass it down behind the closed doors in the families. This took place for hundreds of years. Even during the ethnographic survey (that was our criteria for evaluation) that we conducted, we had to turn off the cameras and recorders at certain points.
I would also like to say that Tlakaelel, who I have known for years, synthesizes the information and ceremonies that have been exchanged in uncounted meetings with contemporary First People Elders and scholars throughout North America. His abilities as an orator create a historic cultural space whenever he speaks bringing the living wisdom alive over and over again.
Starting in March 2006, the split that Christianity created among indigenous peoples is being healed. Ceremonial prayer runs with waters gathered from around the world are being run from North to South and back again, renewing ancient relationships uniting in prayers for water,” the First Spirit”. Among many kalpulli and Hopi Indian runners, a unique modern effort to bond all people to water as we should be bonded—spiritually— is taking place. Water from Hueco Tanks has been gathered in this effort in the renewal of relationship.
And finally, the materials created for TSPW was supposed to be archived and available to the public upon request. I hope Native scholars will look into the transcripts and report that she submitted. Hueco Tanks is a sacred ancestral site. Dr. Sutherland set the documentation into public record for all people to learn of its place in the cultural history of this continent.
Thanks, Joan.
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