Fray Marcos de Niza first saw what is now New Mexico in May, 1539. From a nearby mesa he viewed the Zuni pueblo of Hawikķśh, not far from the present Gallup. He returned to Mexico with tales of cities of gold which so impressed the Viceroy that in 1540 he dispatched Francisco Coronado with an army and Fray Marcos as his guide. They found no gold and very little of anything else. Coronado returned home two years later a broken man.

While others came to New Mexico before him for a variety of purposes, Don Juan de Ońate established the first settlement in 1598. Don Pedro de Peralta founded Santa Fe as the capital in 1609. Spanish villages were settled all along the Rio Grande until 1680, when the Pueblo, with Apache help, drove the Spaniards out of New Mexico in the famous Pueblo Revolt.

Twelve years later, Don Diego de Vargas reconquered the province with little resistance. The territory grew and prospered, though not entirely without conflict, since the Spanish were determined to maintain control at any cost. They forbade trade with the French of Louisiana, their nearest neighbors and rivals.

In 1810 Napoleon overran Spain; in 1821 Mexico won its independence and formed a republic. The following year, William Becknell of Missouri brought the first wagons across the plains and blazed what was later called the Santa Fe Trail. After the Mexican War of 1846, New Mexico became a Unitetd States territory, joining the Union in 1912.

New Mexico is a land of contrasts. Traces of prehistoric Folsom Man and Sandia Man, whose ancestors may have trekked across the Bering Strait land bridge from Asia, have been found here. Working in the midst of antiquity, scientists at Los Alamos opened up the new atomic world.

Southern New Mexico has fascinating desert country and cool, green, high forests popular with campers, anglers, and vacationers. In the north, it also has desert lands, but most of this area is high mountain country with clear streams and snow, which sometimes stays all year. Spanish-speaking farmers mix with Native Americans and urban Americans in the plazas of Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

Where sheep and cattle were once the only industry, extractive industries—of which oil and uranium are a part—now yield nearly $5 billion a year.

Native Americans occupied New Mexico for centuries before the arrival of Europeans. The exploring Spaniards called them Pueblo Indians because their tightly clustered communities were not unlike Spanish pueblos, or villages. The Apache and Navajo, who arrived in New Mexico after the Pueblo people, were seminomadic wanderers. The Navajo eventually adopted many of the Pueblo ways, although their society is less structured and more individualistic than the Pueblo. The main Navajo reservation straddles New Mexico and Arizona (see SHIPROCK). The Apache, living closer to the Plains Indians, remained more nomadic.

The 19 Pueblo groups have close-knit communal societies and cultures, even though they speak 6 different languages. Their pueblos are unique places to visit. In centuries-old dwellings, craftspeople make and sell a variety of wares. The religious ceremonies, which include many dances and songs, are quite striking and not to be missed. While some pueblos are adamantly uninterested in tourists, others are trying to find a way to preserve those aspects of their ancient culture they most value, while taking advantage of what is most beneficial to them in non-Native American culture and ways.

Tourists are welcome at all reservations in New Mexico on most days, although there are various restrictions. Since the religious ceremonies are sacred, photography is generally prohibited. This may also be true of certain sacred areas of the pueblo (in a few cases, the entire pueblo). Sometimes permission to photograph or draw is needed, and fees may be required. The ancient culture and traditions of these people hold great meaning; visitors should be as respectful of them as they would be of their own. Questions should be directed to the pueblo governor or representative at the tribal office.

More can be learned about New Mexico's Native Americans and their origins at the many museums and sites in Santa Fe (see), the visitor center at Bandelier National Monument (see), and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (see ALBUQUERQUE). For further information, contact the Office of Indian Affairs, 228 E Palace Ave, Santa Fe 87501; phone 505/827-6440.