Indigenous Peoples of New Mexico

United States New Mexico  American Indian Research  Indians of New Mexico

Tribes and Bands of New Mexico
The following list of American Indians who have lived in New Mexico has been compiled from Hodge's Handbook of American Indians... and from Swanton's The Indian Tribes of North America. Some may simply be variant spellings for the same tribe.


 * Apache
 * Comanche
 * Keresan
 * Kiowa
 * Kiowa Apache
 * Lipan
 * Monso
 * Navajo
 * Pecos
 * Piro
 * Pueblo
 * Shuman
 * Southern Ute
 * Ute
 * Ute Mountain Ute
 * Zuni

Bands:


 * Acoma-Pueblo
 * Canoncito-Navajo
 * Chiricahua Apache
 * Jemez-Pueblo
 * Jicarilla Apache
 * Laguna-Pueblo
 * Mescalero Apache
 * Mimbreno Apache
 * Mimbus Apache
 * Taos-Pueblo
 * Tewa-Pueblo

Reservations
From the mid-1800s, the official policy of the United States government toward the American Indian was to confine each tribe to a specific parcel of land called a reservation. Agencies were established on or near each reservation. A government representative, usually called an agent (or superintendent) was assigned to each agency. Their duties included maintaining the peace, making payments to the Native Americans based on the stipulations of the treaties with each tribe, and providing a means of communication between the native population and the federal government.

Sometimes, a single agency had jurisdiction over more than one reservation. And sometimes, if the tribal population and land area required it, an agency may have included sub-agencies.

The boundaries of reservations, over time, have changed. Usually, that means the reservations have been reduced in size. Sometimes, especially during the later policy of "termination," the official status of reservations was ended altogether.

For a current reservation map - New Mexico - Indian Reservations- The National Atlas of the United States of America. Federal Lands and Indian Reservations. by the U.S. Department of Interior and U.S. Geological Survey.

The following list of reservations has been compiled from the National Atlas of the United States of America, the Omni Gazetteer of the United States of America , and other sources. Those reservations named in bold are current federally-recognized reservations, with their associated agency and tribe(s). Others have historically been associated with the state or are not currently recognized by the federal government.


 * Alamo Reservation: Federal, under jurisdiction of _______ Tribe: Navajo
 * Black Rock Reservation: - Zuni tribe
 * Bosque Redondo Reservation:
 * Cononcita Reservation: Federal, under jurisdiction of ______, Tribe: Navajo
 * Jicarilla Reservation: Federal, under jurisdiction of Jicarilla Agency, Tribe: Jicarilla Apache
 * Mescalero Reservation: Federal, under jurisdiction of Mescalero Agency, Tribe: Apache
 * Navajo Reservation: Apache tribe
 * Ojo Caliente Reservation:
 * Puerto Cito Reservation: Alamo Navajo tribe
 * Ramah Reservation (Community): Federal, under jurisdiction of Ramah-Navajo Agency, Tribe: Navajo
 * Zuni Reservation: Federal, under jurisdiction of Zuni Agency, Tribe: Zuni

Pueblos

 * Acoma Pueblo - Federal, under jurisdiction of Southern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Keresan
 * Cochiti Pueblo - Federal, under jurisdiction of Southern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Kersan
 * Isleta Pueblo - Federal, under jurisdiction of Southern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Isleta
 * Jemez Pueblo - Federal, under jurisdiction of Southern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Jemez
 * Laguna Pueblo - Federal, under jurisdiction of Laguna Agency, Tribe Keresan
 * Nambe Pueblo - Federal, under jurisdiction of Northern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Tano-Tewa
 * Picuris (San Lorenzo) Pueblo - Federal, under jurisdiction of Northern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Tewa
 * Pojoaque Pueblo - Federal, under jurisdiction of Northern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Tano-Tewa
 * Sandia Pueblo - Federal, under jurisdiction of Southern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Tano-Tewa
 * San Felipe Pueblo - Federal, under juisdiction of Southern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Keresan
 * San Ildefonso Pueblo - Federal, under jurisdiction of Northern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Tewa
 * San Juan Pueblo - Federal, under jurisdiction of Northern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Tawo-Tewa
 * Santa Ana Pueblo - Federal, under jurisdiction of Southern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Keresan
 * Santa Clara Pueblo- Federal, under jurisdiction of Northern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Tano-Tewa
 * Santo Domingo Pueblo -Federal, under jurisdiction of Southern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Leresan
 * Taos Pueblo - Federal, under jurisdiction of Northern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Tano-Tigua
 * Tesuque Pueblo - Federal, under jurisdiction of Northern Pueblos Agency, Tribe: Tano-Tewa
 * Zia Pueblo - Federal, under jurisdiction of Southern pueblos Agency, Tribe: Keresan

Agencies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Agencies and subagencies were created as administrative offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its predecessors. Their purpose was (and is) to manage Indian affairs with the tribes, to enforce policies, and to assist in maintaining the peace. The names and location of these agencies may have changed, but their purpose remained basically the same. Many of the records of genealogical value were created by these offices.

The following list of agencies that have operated or now exist in New Mexico has been compiled from Hill's Office of Indian Affairs..., Hill's Guide to Records in the National Archives Relating to American Indians , and others.


 * Abiquiu Agency
 * Cimarron Agency
 * Eastern Navajo Agency
 * Jicarilla Agency, P.O. Box 167, Dulce, NM 87528
 * Laguna Agency, P.O. Box 1448, Laguna, NM 87026
 * Mescalero Agency, P.O. Box 189, Mescalero, NM 88340
 * Navajo Agency
 * Navajo Service
 * Northern Agency
 * Northern Pueblos Agency, 1570 Pachaco St., Building D6, Santa Fe, NM 87501
 * Pueblo Agency
 * Pueblo and Jicarilla Agency
 * Pueblo Bonito Agency
 * Ramah-Navajo Agency, Ramah,NM 87321
 * Santa Fe Agency 1849-1851
 * Shiprock Agency
 * Southern Apache (Apache, Gila Apache) Agency
 * Southern Navajo Agency
 * Southern Pueblos Agency, P.O. Box 1667, Albuquerque,NM 87103
 * United Pueblos Agency
 * Zuni Agency, P.O. Box 369, Zuni,NM 87327

Indian Schools
The Office of Indian Affairs (now the Bureau of Indian Affairs) established a network of schools throughout the United States, beginning with Carlisle Indian School, established in 1879. Some of these schools were day schools, usually focusing on Indian children of a single tribe or reservation. Some were boarding schools which served Indian children from a number of tribes and reservations.

In addition, other groups such as various church denominations established schools specifically focusing on American Indian children. (read more...)

The following list of Indian Schools in New Mexico has been compiled from Hill's Office of Indian Affairs..., Hill's Guide to Records in the National Archives Relating to American Indians , and others.


 * Albuquerque Indian School
 * Charles H. Burke School -- forerunner of Fort Wingate vocational High School
 * Fort Wingate Vocational High School -- successor to Charles H. Burke School
 * Jicarilla School (Family History Library has some)
 * McCarty Day School
 * Mesita Day School
 * Navajo Indian School (Family History Library has some by jbp)
 * Nenannezed (Nenahnezad) Boarding School
 * Northern Pueblo School (Pueblo Day School)
 * Paguate Day School
 * Pueblo Bonito School
 * Pueblo Day Schools
 * San Juan Boarding School
 * Santa Fe Indian School (tranferred to United Pueblos 1935) (Family History Library has some)
 * Southern Pueblo Day Schools (Family History Library has some)
 * Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
 * U.S. Indian Industrial School
 * Zuni Boarding School

Indian Health Facilities

 * Laguna Sanatorium

Family History Library
The Family History Library has microfilm copies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs records of births, deaths, marriages, divorces, land allotments and homesteads, and school records and reports. The records were created between 1878 and 1944 at the Eastern Navajo, Jicarilla, Pueblos, Zuni, and other agencies. These original records for New Mexico are located at the National Archives Rocky Mountain Region (Denver).

Records and information about the various tribes are also listed in the Subject Search of the Family History Library Catalog under the name of the tribe.


 * New Mexico Superintendency 1848-1880 T21 30 films 1st film 1617620

Other Repositories

 * Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1570 Pacheco St., Santa Fe, NM 87501

Native American Obituaries
The Native American Obituary Project is a compilation of over 500 pages of newspaper clippings of Native American obituaries from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The project originated with volunteers at the Farmington, New Mexico Family History Center. The obituaries range in date from 1977 to 2001. They were printed in the following newspapers:    • The Daily Times (Farmington, New Mexico)     • The Winslow Mail (Winslow, Arizona)     • Montezuma Valley Sun (Montezuma, Colorado)     • Cortez Journal (Cortez, Colorado)     • Navajo Times (Window Rock, Navajo Nation, Arizona)     • Lake Powell Chronicle (Page, Arizona)

The published volume, which includes a surname index, has been microfilmed and digitized under the title, Native American Obituaries. It is one of countless treasures of the Family History Library, accessible on site, online, or through a local Family History Center. The Family History Library Catalogprovides a full description. It can also be accessed through the BYU Family History Archives, Digital Collections. See related blog article (7 Jun 2011).

See Also:
New Mexico-Church for a list of missions. There were many Spanish Missions with Pueblos

New Mexico-History for a calendar of events

New Mexico-Military for a list of forts

OnLine Links
The National Archives Rocky Mountain Region (Denver) -- http://www.archives.gov/rocky-mountain/

Native American Indian Census Rolls for New Mexico -- http://www.us-census.org/native/m595/new_mexico.html

An 1869 study of "Native American Indians of New Mexico -- http://www.logoi.com/notes/newmexico/index.html

New Mexico Genealogical Society