New Mexico, the "Land of Enchantment," it could be said that the state gets this nickname for its magical mix of Native American cultures that provide this "Land of Enchantment" a spirit of its own. Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, a Spanish explorer searching for the famed "Seven Lost Cities of Gold", traveled the region that became New Mexico in 1540–1542. Coronado was the first white man to encounter the Native American cultures of New Mexico. Coronado enslaved and murdered thousands of Acoma , Hopi, Zuni , Navajo and other Native American peoples his quest to find cities of gold, but he found nothing and returned to Spanish Mexico emptyhanded. In 1598 the first Spanish settlement was established on the Rio Grande River by Juan de Onate beginning Spain's control over the territories that are today New Mexico. In 1610 Santa Fe was founded and made the capital of New Mexico and is today the USA's oldest capital city. The U.S. acquired most of New Mexico in 1848, as a result of the Mexican War, and the remainder in the 1853 Gadsden Purchase. During the Civil War, Union troops captured the New Mexico from the Confederates, but after the war the territory was beset with outlaws and violence. The Apache Wars that plagued most of the United States' southwest during the 1870's and 80's. With the surrender of Geronimo at Skeleton Canyon on September 4, 1886, the Apache Wars and most of the Indian conflicts in the area were ended. In 1912, New Mexico became the 47th state in America. Thirty-six years later, in 1948, the Native American peoples of New Mexico finally gained the right to vote in state elections. This gave the Native Americans in New Mexico their first voice in government since the arrival of Coronado over 400 years ago. The Native Americans of New Mexico have a long and proud history and cultural heritage. Tracing their roots back thousands of years to some of the world's oldest peoples. New Mexico truly is a "Land of Enchantment". KWABLA has partnered with Native American artisans of the Acoma and Zuni nations in New Mexico. To browse KWABLA's catalogue of cultural goods or listing of cultural artisans from New Mexico, click on the icons below. |
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| Catalgue of Cultural Goods from New Mexico, USA | | | Listing of Cultural Artisans from New Mexico, USA | ||
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