Montezuma

p. 191

MONTEZUMA ¹

When Columbus discovered America, Montezuma was chief of the Taska'la pueblo (near the capital of Mexico). He was pure Indian. Montezuma was a strong ruler; no matter how many nations came to his country he would not allow anyone to settle there. Montezuma knew that he could not always rule his people, that some day he would have to give up his power. He talked to his people and told them just how long he would rule, and how he would go away. When the time came, he chose a Malinche (his partner whenever he appears) and dressed her as we do for a dance, put a white manta on her and feathers in her hair. He took this woman and went down to a lake. There he told them, "I am going away, but I do not die. I shall come again. When I have gone home, people from the northeast will come, and they will be white. They will rule here." He was dressed in ceremonial costume, wearing buckskin and a feather headdress, and when he had spoken, he went down with the woman into the water. He said he would come back when there were already many whites in the country, but he did not say in what way he would return; we do not understand. Perhaps he will be born again. as a baby, and perhaps he will come full-grown just as he was when he went into the lake.

Before he left, he said, "You shall choose Wa'tumasi' to rule over you." Wa'tumasi' was a chief of Aztĕko pueblo and he had married the sister of Montezuma. He took Montezuma's place, but he was not a real Montezuma. Many nations came to his country and wanted to settle there, Nan'kortez came with many soldiers. He went about among the pueblos and did great damage. He tried to end all customs and religions. His soldiers had married the women of Taskala and Aztĕka, and he had many friends. When he went to Taskala, he said to the chief men, "It is not right that the chief of the Aztĕka should rule over you. You should set up your own chief, and drive out Wa'tumasi'." When he went to Aztĕka he said, "The pueblo of Taskala wishes to drive out the ruler that Montezuma placed over them. Do not give up what is yours." So he set them by the ears. At last he allied himself with Taskala and they made war on Aztĕka. They fought bard, and all the soldiers of Nan'kortez were killed. He went back to Spain to get more soldiers and all the time he was gone the pueblos of Taskala and Aztĕka continued to fight. When he returned, the people of Taskala had made allies of half the people and the people of Aztĕka had made allies of the other half. Those Mexicans who had married women of Taskala fought

p. 192

with Taskala and those who had married women of Aztĕka fought with Aztĕka. They fought the second war, and Nan'kortez fought again with Taskala.

Wa'tumasi'’s wife dreamed that there would be four wars (with Nan'kortez) and in the fourth war Wa'tumasi' would be captured. He waited for the fourth war. He was captured and Nan'kortez put him in prison, and sent word to the King of Spain that Wa'tumasi' had surrendered; therefore Mexico was governed after this by the, King of Spain. Nan'kortez took all the gold and treasures of Montezuma and took them all to Spain. ⁴ The pueblos of Taskala and Aztĕka set up other Montezumas, but they no longer had any power.

Footnotes

191:1 Informant 4. Notes, p. 219.

192:4 "The fathers at Peña Blanca (Catholic mission opposite Cochiti) have told us that if the Indians put in a claim for this treasure the king of Spain would be obliged to return it; the governor of the United States would make him send it back. The pueblos had a council but they did not want to put in a claim for this treasure. Then the United States and Spain had a war over it, and the United States won, but none of the treasure came back to Cochiti."