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The Pueblo Revolt: How Indigenous Peoples Expelled Spain from New Mexico
Description
In 1680, the Pueblo peoples of New Mexico rose up in a coordinated rebellion that expelled Spanish colonists for over a decade. This episode explores the brutal encomienda system and forced conversion under Spanish rule, the visionary leadership of Popé, a Tewa religious leader from Ohkay Owingeh, and the secret planning that united diverse Pueblo villages speaking six different languages. We discuss the role of katsina religion, the suppression of Pueblo ceremonies, and the revolt's aftermath—including the Spanish reconquest by Diego de Vargas in 1692. Popé's revolt stands as the most successful Indigenous uprising against European colonization in North America, a story of resilience, strategy, and cultural survival that reshaped the Southwest.