Envisioning America & What Caused the Pueblo Revolt - Essay Example

At first we thought the white man’s god protected us, so we freely worshiped. Then the rains stopped coming. The other tribes began attacking us for our sparse food and water. As a people, the Pueblos, realized we had angered our Gods. The Gods were punishing us with a drought. We turned from the white man ways to go back to the true ways of our fathers. The white men were mad. They arrested many man, including Popé. Some of the Pueblos were killed. The rest of the men, including Popé were whipped.

The story of his shame circulated amongst the tribes. Popé vowed revenge. Along with Popé’s stories, my people had become angry at the white man’s ways. My family was no exception. The white men’s holy men had made several Pueblo children and women work in their holy places and homes. My mother would take me to the holy place as a child. She would clean the church and cook for the holy man. As a young child I would carry water for the white man’s holy man. Some days it would take all day to fill the water needs of the white man.

I did not understand why I struggled so hard to carry water and then the holy man would waste it. Even more strange was the holy man’s wastefulness of water during droughts. The man would dip his fingers into water and place it on babies heads. I never understood how water could help a baby’s thirst if placed on the baby’s head. My mother would have to go home and tend to her crops and other chores after working for the holy man. This made my mother very tired. Other Pueblos felt the same way.

We began to hate the Spaniards, instead of just being suspicious. After the runner left, my father and the tribal elders met to discuss the message. I hid in the shadows to listen. My father spoke saying “Popé will attack on the day the last knot is untied.” I was excited. Maybe my