Juan de Oñate’s three-day siege that decimated Acoma Pueblo in 1599

Oñate’s Brutal Revenge at Sky City Mesa

In 1598, a simple food request turned deadly at Acoma Pueblo. When Spanish soldiers led by Juan de Zaldívar asked for winter supplies, the Acoma said no.

A fight broke out, and Acoma warriors killed Zaldívar plus eleven men. His uncle, Governor Juan de Oñate, sent troops for revenge.

The Spanish laid siege to the mesa-top pueblo for three days, then used a cannon to set it on fire. Nearly 1,000 Acoma died.

Oñate then cut off men’s feet and sent hundreds into slavery.

The ancient Sky City still stands today, though, a stark reminder of what took place on this sacred mesa near El Malpais National Monument.

Spanish Soldiers Came Demanding Food in the Dead of Winter

Juan de Zaldívar showed up at Acoma Pueblo on December 4, 1598, with 16 hungry soldiers. They wanted corn and blankets to help Spanish colonists survive the tough New Mexico winter.

The Acoma people said no, knowing they needed every bit of food for their own families until spring. Things got worse when the Spanish tried to take what they wanted by force.

The Acoma fought back to protect their winter supplies.

The Mesa Top Turned Into a Battleground

Fighting broke out quickly on the high mesa as Acoma warriors defended their food. During the clash, they killed Juan de Zaldívar and eleven of his men.

Only five Spanish soldiers lived through the battle by jumping from the 367-foot mesa. The survivors split up and ran back to warn other Spanish settlements, nearby missions, and Governor Oñate.

The governor got the bad news while he was looking for a route to the Pacific Ocean.

Oñate Wanted Blood for His Nephew’s Death

Governor Juan de Oñate called his war council together as soon as he heard about his nephew’s death. He called the Acoma actions treason against the Spanish crown.

The Franciscan friars agreed, saying this was a "just war" because the Acoma had sworn loyalty to Spain. Oñate put Vicente de Zaldívar, brother of the dead man, in charge of seventy armed soldiers.

The revenge group left San Juan Pueblo in late December 1598 with steel weapons, armor, guns, and a small cannon.

The Spanish Army Surrounded Sky City

Vicente de Zaldívar and his troops reached Acoma Pueblo on January 21, 1599. Following Spanish military rules, Zaldívar asked for peace talks three times before attacking.

He wanted the Acoma to hand over the warriors who killed his brother. The Acoma people refused all demands from their spot on top of the 367-foot mesa.

They knew their natural fortress gave them a big advantage against attackers who would need to climb steep rock faces.

Arrows and Stones Rained Down on Spanish Attackers

The main battle started on the morning of January 22, 1599. Acoma fighters shot arrows and threw rocks at Spanish soldiers trying to climb up the mesa.

The steep cliffs made it nearly impossible for the Spanish to get a foothold. Even with their guns and armor, the Spanish troops couldn’t break through the Acoma defenses.

The first day ended with the Acoma still in control of their pueblo.

The Pueblo Defenders Held Strong Through Day Two

Acoma warriors kept up their strong defense throughout the second day of fighting. The Spanish fired their muskets and small cannon, but the natural fortress made these weapons less useful than normal.

Vicente de Zaldívar spent the day planning a new attack from multiple sides at once. As night fell, the Spanish got ready for their final assault while the Acoma kept watch from the pueblo walls.

A Secret Path Led Spanish Cannon to the Top

On January 24, Zaldívar found a hidden path up the south side of the mesa.

He led twelve men carrying the small cannon up this route while the rest of his troops created distractions. The Spanish set up their cannon and fired directly into the pueblo buildings.

The Acoma had never faced cannon fire before and panicked as stone houses crumbled. The cannon shots set wooden structures on fire, and flames spread quickly through the village.

Fire and Sword Tore Through the Ancient Pueblo

Spanish soldiers charged into the burning village with swords drawn and guns loaded. They moved through smoke-filled streets killing anyone who fought back.

Buildings fell as the battle raged. Between 800 and 1,000 Acoma people died in the three-day attack.

The Spanish caught about 500 survivors, mostly women and children. The once-busy community of 4,000 people was left in ruins.

Survivors Faced Brutal Punishment for Resisting

On February 12, 1599, Oñate held a trial for 507 Acoma survivors at Santo Domingo Pueblo. His punishments were harsh.

Twenty-four men over age twenty-five had one foot cut off and got twenty years of slavery. All men between twelve and twenty-five and women over twelve got twenty years of forced labor.

Sixty young women were sent to convents in Mexico City. Two caught Hopi men had their hands cut off as a warning to other pueblos.

The Spanish King Finally Stepped In

King Philip III of Spain wasn’t happy when he learned about Oñate’s brutal actions. The king brought thirty charges against the governor.

Spanish courts found Oñate guilty of too much cruelty, poor management, and lying in his reports. In 1614, they kicked him out of New Mexico and banned him from Mexico for five years.

Meanwhile, several Acoma people who escaped the Spanish attack started rebuilding their pueblo by 1601.

The Oldest Continuously Inhabited Community Survived

Acoma Pueblo stands today as both a National Historic Landmark and a living community. Visitors can still see cannon damage marks on some houses from the 1599 battle.

The massacre changed Spanish-Pueblo relations forever and planted seeds of resistance that grew into the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.

Despite facing near destruction, the Acoma people rebuilt their community on the same mesa top where their ancestors had lived for centuries.

Visiting El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico

El Malpais National Monument at 1900 E Santa Fe Avenue in Grants offers free access to explore the volcanic landscape where the Acoma Massacre unfolded in 1599.

The visitor center opens daily 9am to 5pm and provides free caving permits for lava tube exploration. You can walk the ancient Zuni-Acoma Trail from Highway 53 with interpretive signs about the area’s history.

Sandstone Bluffs Overlook gives you views of the historic mesa where Spanish forces attacked Acoma Pueblo.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• These ancient cliff dwellings once housed atomic bomb scientists in New Mexico
• How the Ancient Puebloans of New Mexico tracked supernovas and lunar cycles before drought forced a mass exodus
• The Spanish land grant that started from a historic Pueblo revolt and created Petroglyph National Monument in New Mexico