APPENDIX IX
ON THE ACOMA INDIANS
[From Leslie A. White, The Acoma Indians: Forty-Seventh Annual Report of the
Bureau of Ethnology 1929-30 (Washington, D. C.: United States Printing Office, 1932),
pp. 23-125.
Acoma Today
Acoma's early reputation for vigorous unfriendliness to the whites has been maintained to
the present day. Of course, there has been no violence for many years, but Government
officials and employees, representatives of religious organizations, and tourists well
know the difficulties which confront a white man or woman at Acoma. The Acoma people are
suspicious, distrustful and unfriendly. In addition to their constant fears that they may
have their land taken from them, or that they may be taxed by the government, they are ever
on guard to prevent any information concerning their ceremonies from becoming known lest they
be supressed (or ridiculed) by the whites [p. 28]....
Property is owned by both men and women. Some own houses and some women own herds of
sheep. Property is divided among the children at death. Theoretically, all land is community
owned, but each farm is said to "belong" to some particular family. This means that they are
using it and that they have the right to use it, but should they neglect the land and allow
it to be idle some one else may ask the Cacique to allot the land to him. And the Cacique has
the authority to do this.... The grazing land is communal; the flocks of various families
wander over the range almost at random [p. 34]....
Regarding marriage with non-Acoma persons I received the impression quite decidedly that
marriage outside the pueblo is not to be encouraged, even with other pueblos, and marriage
with whites or Mexicans is disapproved of [p. 38].
Government
Political control of the Pueblo is exercised by officers and societies.
The officers may be divided into two groups, viz., the Cacique-war chief
group and the governor with his aides. The latter is of post Spanish origin
and is simply a secular arm of the Cacique and the war priests [p. 40].
The Governor
This group of officers is of post-Spanish origin. They serve a double function now, and
I presume the -need for such services was responsible for their origin. First, they represent
the Pueblo in business, political, or religious transactions with the whites and the
Mexicans. Secondly, they act as a screen which quite effectively conceals the existence
of the Cacique, the War chiefs and the medicine men - the real powers of the village....
The following items give some idea of the kind of extra-pueblo business that falls to the
governor There is an Indian Agency at Albuquerque which "supervises" Acoma. They have a
"farmer" living at Acomita. He supervises irrigation, livestock, road building, upkeep of
the school house...
This indicates the nature and range of the governor's business. His is really a difficult
position. He has to obey the priests and work with the whites. He is frequently caught
between the Cacique at old Acoma on one side and the superintendent at Albuquerque and the
Government farmer in Acomita on the other.
The governor is appointed yearly at the "Christmas Elections" by the Cacique. He wears a
badge bearing the words "Governor of Acoma" and he has a cane which was given to the Pueblo
by President Lincoln.... [pp. 53-55].
Marriage and Divorce
Monogamy is the rule at Acoma. The Catholic faith being professed, divorce is
theoretically impossible. Many couples are married in the old mission church at Acoma by the
Priest (Franciscan). These marriages usually take place on September 2, at the Feast of St.
Stephen, Acoma's patron Saint. But frequently a man and woman live together as man and wife
and without any formal ceremony....
There are many illegitimate children. Many girls become mothers before they marry (or
live with a man); sometimes they have two children before marriage. Sometimes, indeed, they
never marry but rear large families. Neither illegitimacy nor extraconjugal sexual
relationships are considered sins or even immoral.... [pp. 135-136].
