The Jemez Indians were first seen by Europeans in 1541 when they were
visited by Captain Francisco de Barrio-Nuevo, of Coronado’s expedition.
He counted seven villages, naming them Aguas Calientes because of the
many hot springs in the canyon of the Jemez River. The ancient pueblos
are now all in ruins, with one preserved as the Jemez State Monument.
The present pueblo, built on the mesa where the Jemez River leaves the
mountains, was constructed after the Pueblo Revolt. The Jemez people
fled their older villages during the reconquest and for a time lived
with the Navajo, whom they disliked but preferred to the Spanish.
There have been four notable missions among the Jemez Indians. The
first, San Diego de Jemez Mission, was built in the early seventeenth
century. It was one of the most successful of the New Mexico missions;
reportedly, more than 6000 converts were made among the Jemez Indians
before 1622. Because of the constant attacks of the Navajo, the
traditional enemies of the Jemez people, the ancient pueblos gradually
declined and were finally completely abandoned after Jemez participation
in the Pueblo Revolt. The ruins of this church, now the Jemez State
Monument, are among the most picturesque in all New Mexico. Its walls
are three feet thick and were put together with intricate care. In its
time, it must have been a beautiful building.
The second, San Juan de Los Jemez Mission, was built in 1617 at a
village located near the junction of the Guadalupe and Jemez rivers, six
miles north of the present pueblo. The ruins are faint but still
visible. The mission was abandoned in 1680.
The third mission had a very brief history. It was called San Jose de
los Jemez Mission and was located near San Juan de Los Jemez, of which
it was a _visita_. Like San Juan, San Jose was abandoned in 1680.
The present mission was founded early in the eighteenth century and is
one of the interesting things to visit at Jemez Pueblo. This old church
is the center of the annual festival held at Jemez on November 12.
Jemez is noted for its splendid presentation of the Buffalo Dance in the
winter and for its Corn Dances during the November festival.