The Pueblos of New Mexico were different than many Indian tribes in America that accepted government intervention in their everyday life.
The Pueblos in New Mexico were given the right to remain in their homelands and treated as sovereign entities by the Spanish colonists. The United States’ policies towards the pueblos grew out of the pattern of relationships first established by the Spanish.
Although there have been many conflicts including the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, the pueblos have retained legal grants to lands they farmed and are recognized as hereditary owners of the land they cultivated.
In 1864 the US government sent canes to all the 19 New Mexico pueblos symbolizing the sovereignty of each pueblo. It was done to mark the arrival of the United States land Patent. These original canes are beribboned, black in color and capped with a gold cap stamped "A Lincoln".
The leaders elected by the pueblo today are given the cane for his pueblo each year during his inauguration. This day each year occurs in the Pueblos in January and is called Caning Day. Often it is on King's Day January 6th.
This ceremony has become intertwined with the tribe's religion because the occasion is so solemn and reverent. Many secular ceremonies in the pueblo take on religious significance because here there is no separation of church and state. They are one and the same.
In recognition of Pueblo authority canes from Mexico, Spain and President Richard Nixon have been presented. President Nixon presented one when the Blue Lakes of Taos were returned to the Pueblo by the US government.
Many Pueblo leaders believe sharing their spiritual traditions and beliefs with the world would cause erosion in their community and fragmentation. So these ceremonies, beliefs and traditions are protected and kept in the pueblos. The elected leaders believe this is another duty for him to perform for his people during his term.
The authority to govern the tribes and the power to officiate still is an honor and privilege taken very seriously by the pueblo leaders. They are determined in seeing their people through the 21st century with their traditions, spiritual beliefs and practices still intact.
The canes have never lost their importance and never will.
Eileen Richardson
