THE TIGUAS: The Lost Tribe of City Indians

by Stan Steiner ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 5, 1972

The Tiguas, who once lived in the four story pueblos of Gran Quivira which dazzled the conquistadores, are today invisible residents of El Paso, Texas. Though the city grew up on land that may still be legally theirs, the Tiguas were long considered extinct and were only officially recognized by the government in 1968. Steiner, author of La Raza and The New Indians, visits a traditional St. Anthony's Day celebration which now crosses the path of a superhighway, the sacred Hueco caves -- the legendary place of origin of the Tiguas, now part of a State Park (""We used to have to pay one dollar to visit our own land""), and a meeting of the National Congress of American Indians where the Tiguas sing a scalping song for the Apache President (Apaches were the Tiguas' traditional enemies). The tribal Governor Miguel Pedraza and the Cacique Jose Granillo are well aware of the incongruities of their preservation of traditional ways amid an urban setting; as they tell Steiner about their herbal medicine, talking drum prayers and legends, it becomes obvious that neither their ancient claim to the land nor their wish to keep some of the people's secrets to themselves have been forgotten. A series of informal impressions enlivened by the personalities of the Tiguan elders provides a close-up view of the peoples' past glories and present tenacity.

Pub Date: Sept. 5, 1972

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Crowell-Collier

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1972

Categories: NONFICTION