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When Jesus Came, the Corn Mothers Went Away: Marriage, Sexuality, and Power in New Mexico, 1500-1846
This social history of one remote corner of Spain's colonial American empire uses marriage as a window into intimate social relations, examining the Spanish conquest of America and its impact on a group of indigenous peoples, the Pueblo Indians, seen in large part from their point of view.
456 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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October 6, 2015
Ramon Gutierrez states that his intent is to give voice to the Pueblo Indians who inhabited the land that is now New Mexico. He builds his social history around the institution of marriage and argues that it was through marriage and sexuality that the people who encountered each other in New Mexico beginning in the 16th Century structured their relationships. Although the book is generally well written, it falls apart on even cursory examination of its empirical grounding. The voices that Gutierrez wants to restore to the historical narrative remain absent. Instead, the reader learns more about the colonizers.
Gutierrez asks the reader, in the introduction, to excuse the lightly-footnoted foundational first chapter, in which the author attempts the “historical reconstruction of sixteenth-century Pueblo culture and social structure.” (xxx) The resulting pages are not confidence inspiring. Gutierrez provides one reference for the origin myth he sketches. Consulting the references, the reader finds that Gutierrez relies on the transcript of a 1928 ethnographic interview between American government officials and visiting Acoma and Santa Ana Pueblo, recapitulated in Stirling’s Origin Myth of Acoma0. In his description of the source, Gutierrez omits a potentially crucial detail: the source, according to those interviewing him, is now a “good Catholic.” (See: http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/sw/om...) The author of the work that Gutierrez cites called attention to this detail as a possible source of distortion in the origin myth recounted to him in 1928. Why did Gutierrez not also acknowledge this potential problem up front? The question is all the more pertinent since other ethnographies suffer the same potential problem. Indeed, when he begins discussing female sexuality, he cites extraordinarily problematic documents without alerting the reader to potential issues. (17, n30)
By not addressing these issues up front, Gutierrez misses an opportunity to make an interesting point. When discussing the Spanish reconquest of New Mexico later in the book, Gutierrez claims that “A century of contact with Christianity had profoundly transformed Pueblo religious symbolism….That this was so should not strike us as odd…a pueblo’s sacred fetishes, dances, prayers, and rituals at any one time were those of the lineages living together. When new lineages joined a town…new dances and new gods were routinely incorporated into the native pantheon.” (161) Might this line of reasoning not explain some of what we read in the early 20th Century ethnographies?
When he discusses Pueblo-Spanish interactions, Gutierrez is again on thin empirical ground. Sentences that begin with “From the Indians’ perspective…” are constructed around Spaniards’ assumptions, often self-serving, of what the Indians thought. (57, n52) This is all the more troubling for the obvious reason that Gutierrez later notes in passing: few of the Spaniards spoke or understood the Indian languages. (93) Judgments about what the Indians thought or believed, then, often formed solely on the basis of visual observation.
Gutierrez asks the reader, in the introduction, to excuse the lightly-footnoted foundational first chapter, in which the author attempts the “historical reconstruction of sixteenth-century Pueblo culture and social structure.” (xxx) The resulting pages are not confidence inspiring. Gutierrez provides one reference for the origin myth he sketches. Consulting the references, the reader finds that Gutierrez relies on the transcript of a 1928 ethnographic interview between American government officials and visiting Acoma and Santa Ana Pueblo, recapitulated in Stirling’s Origin Myth of Acoma0. In his description of the source, Gutierrez omits a potentially crucial detail: the source, according to those interviewing him, is now a “good Catholic.” (See: http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/sw/om...) The author of the work that Gutierrez cites called attention to this detail as a possible source of distortion in the origin myth recounted to him in 1928. Why did Gutierrez not also acknowledge this potential problem up front? The question is all the more pertinent since other ethnographies suffer the same potential problem. Indeed, when he begins discussing female sexuality, he cites extraordinarily problematic documents without alerting the reader to potential issues. (17, n30)
By not addressing these issues up front, Gutierrez misses an opportunity to make an interesting point. When discussing the Spanish reconquest of New Mexico later in the book, Gutierrez claims that “A century of contact with Christianity had profoundly transformed Pueblo religious symbolism….That this was so should not strike us as odd…a pueblo’s sacred fetishes, dances, prayers, and rituals at any one time were those of the lineages living together. When new lineages joined a town…new dances and new gods were routinely incorporated into the native pantheon.” (161) Might this line of reasoning not explain some of what we read in the early 20th Century ethnographies?
When he discusses Pueblo-Spanish interactions, Gutierrez is again on thin empirical ground. Sentences that begin with “From the Indians’ perspective…” are constructed around Spaniards’ assumptions, often self-serving, of what the Indians thought. (57, n52) This is all the more troubling for the obvious reason that Gutierrez later notes in passing: few of the Spaniards spoke or understood the Indian languages. (93) Judgments about what the Indians thought or believed, then, often formed solely on the basis of visual observation.
August 11, 2008
I regularly recommend the book to anyone who visits New Mexico. Despite the academic title, it’s an easy read that quickly covers the 500 years of the state’s recorded history. For the native, it’s especially funny, as the same 20 or so families are still there, all still squabbling over a not-really-valuable patch of dirt. For the visitor, the book explains what lies beneath the image so relentlessly marketed and sold by the locals.
August 25, 2025
This book would be fairly good, but not more than that, without a few historical errors in the introduction that undercut its authority.
I'll get to those in a minute.
First, as one other reviewer notes, most of the "viewing" of the Puebloans is done through Spanish eyes. Can we be sure of that accuracy? (In the intro, Gutiérrez admits we still have a lot to work out about Puebloan prehistory.)
Second, yes, sexuality between different cultures has always been in conflict, where they disagree greatly. But, putting the focus of two greatly different religions as primarily due to different takes on sexuality seems a cramped point of view. Not that some of the things that Gutiérrez narrates about this aren't quite interesting. But, I would have liked to see a broader focus.
And now, those errors?
In the introduction, Gutiérrez says Acoma was "established perhaps as early as 1300." Actually, we have solid evidence of building at Sky City at least 150 years earlier. He then claims it is "the oldest continually settled town in the United States." Oraibi, the oldest Hopi village, goes back to at least 1100. Taos is very likely pre-1300. Even the Hohokam village at today's Tucson is considered as continually inhabited since 1300.
These are errors that simply should not be made, and since the gist of the book is about early European historic Spanish interaction with the Puebloans, they undercut claims to reliability and authority by Gutiérrez.
Then, in the last chapter on Bourbon reforms, he says Charles III was the third and last Bourbon king of Spain. That would be news to the current, Bourbon, monarch of Spain.
Beyond THAT, Gutiérrez had other matters of "difference" he could also have discussed. We have, and had at the time of his book, some evidence that Puebloans engaged in tattooing pre-Contact. We now know that goes back 2000 years. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...
I bought this book because David Roberts recommended it in his book on the Pueblo Revolt. That was a clunker; that said, the one big ding I gave THAT book was that Roberts simply couldn't grasp ideas of religious, and other, syncretism. Maybe that made this book more attractive to him than it should have been.
And with all of that, I knocked my original 3-star rating down to 2.
I'll get to those in a minute.
First, as one other reviewer notes, most of the "viewing" of the Puebloans is done through Spanish eyes. Can we be sure of that accuracy? (In the intro, Gutiérrez admits we still have a lot to work out about Puebloan prehistory.)
Second, yes, sexuality between different cultures has always been in conflict, where they disagree greatly. But, putting the focus of two greatly different religions as primarily due to different takes on sexuality seems a cramped point of view. Not that some of the things that Gutiérrez narrates about this aren't quite interesting. But, I would have liked to see a broader focus.
And now, those errors?
In the introduction, Gutiérrez says Acoma was "established perhaps as early as 1300." Actually, we have solid evidence of building at Sky City at least 150 years earlier. He then claims it is "the oldest continually settled town in the United States." Oraibi, the oldest Hopi village, goes back to at least 1100. Taos is very likely pre-1300. Even the Hohokam village at today's Tucson is considered as continually inhabited since 1300.
These are errors that simply should not be made, and since the gist of the book is about early European historic Spanish interaction with the Puebloans, they undercut claims to reliability and authority by Gutiérrez.
Then, in the last chapter on Bourbon reforms, he says Charles III was the third and last Bourbon king of Spain. That would be news to the current, Bourbon, monarch of Spain.
Beyond THAT, Gutiérrez had other matters of "difference" he could also have discussed. We have, and had at the time of his book, some evidence that Puebloans engaged in tattooing pre-Contact. We now know that goes back 2000 years. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...
I bought this book because David Roberts recommended it in his book on the Pueblo Revolt. That was a clunker; that said, the one big ding I gave THAT book was that Roberts simply couldn't grasp ideas of religious, and other, syncretism. Maybe that made this book more attractive to him than it should have been.
And with all of that, I knocked my original 3-star rating down to 2.
July 25, 2010
A controversial book (as far as obscure historical literature goes), the author writes about how sex and marriage helped the Spaniards to--I guess you could say--"infiltrate" Pueblo Indian society. I guess that, sadly enough, any time any one writes about sex (even in the most level-headed way) you're going to offend someone. At any rate, I thought it was an interesting idea.
December 3, 2023
When Jesus Came, the Corn Mothers Went Away by Ramon Gutierrez is a captivating exploration of the intersection between Native American spirituality and the forces of European colonization. Gutierrez takes readers on an enlightening journey through the origin story celebrated by the Pueblo, shedding light on the convergence of cultural, religious, and political dynamics that unfolded in colonial New Mexico.
The book commences with an in-depth examination of the Pueblo's cultural practices, emphasizing the significance of the corn mother, whose narrative would later intertwine with the Virgin Mary as introduced by the Spaniards. Gutierrez expertly weaves historical context, offering insights into the Pueblo's technological advancements and progressive views on sexuality, challenging common misconceptions.
One compelling aspect is the exploration of reciprocity in Pueblo culture, both in gift exchanges and religious practices. Gutierrez convincingly argues that the Pueblo's adaptability to Christianity was facilitated by their understanding of reciprocity, a theme that resonates throughout the narrative.
As the Spaniards, driven by religious zeal, sought to convert the Pueblo, Gutierrez unveils the complexities of this cultural clash. The dramatization of defeats, attempts to control natural forces, and the imposition of a hierarchical religious structure by the Franciscans reveal the tensions and resistance faced by the Pueblo.
The book's thorough examination of the Pueblo Revolt in 1680, driven by opposing views of government and fueled by the Spaniards' mistreatment, provides a poignant look into the struggle for autonomy and religious freedom. Gutierrez skillfully narrates the subsequent negotiations and the uneasy coexistence that followed, shedding light on the lasting impact of colonization on the Pueblo.
Chapters on honor, social status, and marriage investigate the intricate web of societal norms and tensions, exposing the challenges faced by the Pueblo as they navigated the evolving landscape of colonial New Mexico. Gutierrez's exploration of the impact of Bourbon reforms on the northern frontier adds another layer of complexity to the narrative, showcasing the intricate interplay of political, economic, and religious forces.
When Jesus Came, the Corn Mothers Went Away is a meticulously researched and thought-provoking account detailing the complexities of cultural collision and adaptation. Gutierrez's narrative skillfully balances historical analysis with a sensitivity to the human stories at the heart of these transformative events. This book is an invaluable resource for those seeking a nuanced understanding of the cultural and religious dynamics that shaped colonial New Mexico.
The book commences with an in-depth examination of the Pueblo's cultural practices, emphasizing the significance of the corn mother, whose narrative would later intertwine with the Virgin Mary as introduced by the Spaniards. Gutierrez expertly weaves historical context, offering insights into the Pueblo's technological advancements and progressive views on sexuality, challenging common misconceptions.
One compelling aspect is the exploration of reciprocity in Pueblo culture, both in gift exchanges and religious practices. Gutierrez convincingly argues that the Pueblo's adaptability to Christianity was facilitated by their understanding of reciprocity, a theme that resonates throughout the narrative.
As the Spaniards, driven by religious zeal, sought to convert the Pueblo, Gutierrez unveils the complexities of this cultural clash. The dramatization of defeats, attempts to control natural forces, and the imposition of a hierarchical religious structure by the Franciscans reveal the tensions and resistance faced by the Pueblo.
The book's thorough examination of the Pueblo Revolt in 1680, driven by opposing views of government and fueled by the Spaniards' mistreatment, provides a poignant look into the struggle for autonomy and religious freedom. Gutierrez skillfully narrates the subsequent negotiations and the uneasy coexistence that followed, shedding light on the lasting impact of colonization on the Pueblo.
Chapters on honor, social status, and marriage investigate the intricate web of societal norms and tensions, exposing the challenges faced by the Pueblo as they navigated the evolving landscape of colonial New Mexico. Gutierrez's exploration of the impact of Bourbon reforms on the northern frontier adds another layer of complexity to the narrative, showcasing the intricate interplay of political, economic, and religious forces.
When Jesus Came, the Corn Mothers Went Away is a meticulously researched and thought-provoking account detailing the complexities of cultural collision and adaptation. Gutierrez's narrative skillfully balances historical analysis with a sensitivity to the human stories at the heart of these transformative events. This book is an invaluable resource for those seeking a nuanced understanding of the cultural and religious dynamics that shaped colonial New Mexico.
April 1, 2022
I only read the first third of this, the history up through the Pueblo Revolt. (That's what I was interested in.) I learned a lot from the book and really appreciate the scholarship. It's well written and easy to follow. A little dry but way more readable than the usual academic book.\n\nI'm somewhere between curious and skeptical about the author's methods, particularly the way he comes to very specific and detailed conclusions about what various things meant to Pueblo Indians in the 1500s and 1600s. His primary sources are the records the Franciscan friars kept and he's careful at the start to talk about how problematic and biased those are. (And sometimes, clearly fantastical). I respect that it's possible to read through that and come to something like the truth, I just wish he gave us more detail on that process and estimated his certainty.\n\nConcerns aside, as a detailed social-focussed history of early colonial New Mexico it's excellent.
July 24, 2024
What little I know about the southwest is informed by my reading Tony Hillerman and Rudolfo Anaya (and an old Time Life 'American Wilderness' volume or two). Flip the geographical perspective and that area becomes the northernmost part of the Spanish empire. And I have read a lot of Latin American literature and poetry. And Prescott's histories. And some colonial histories. And now this award winning very readable study. Taking marriage as his main theme, the author explores the native traditions, the Franciscan traditions, the Spanish traditions, and how they interacted and changed over time. And grounds it in the economic, political, and cultural surround.
July 5, 2019
Academic study of disastrous impact of Spanish conquest and Christianity on the civilization of Pueblo Indians.
Want to read
May 16, 2022Want to read, need to also read through the extensive criticism that already exists
November 19, 2019
Gutierrez earned a lot of criticism for this controversial history of marriage in New Mexico, primarily due to his outre account of Puebloan culture and sexuality. Among the Pueblo peoples, CORN MOTHERS argued, men and women occupied gendered domains with particular material responsibilities and spiritual powers. The male domain encompassed warfare, hunting, medicine, and the maintenance of sacred time; the female included fertility, control of the family and household, and sustenance. The rituals wherein women and men reified this gendered power, Gutierrez asserted, often abounded with vivid sexual imagery. Marriage helped maintain balance within the community by uniting these powerful yet complementary male and female spheres.
Franciscan missionaries made in the seventeenth century a vigorous effort to destroy the Pueblo Indians’ spiritual old regime. They reserved their missions’ rations for Christian converts, allowed only devout Christian Puebloans to marry, and humiliated or persecuted Native American religious leaders. Rather than rejecting the domineering newcomers outright, many Puebloans chose to make a pretense of conversion for their own survival. Christianity had enough in common with traditional Pueblo religious life – religious holidays, sanguinary rituals (like flagellation), etc. – to make this pretense possible. In the mid-1600s, however, revelations of priestly corruption and sexual abuse of Pueblo women undermined what little authority the padres enjoyed. The Pueblos again implored their masked gods, the katsinas, to protect them from disease and drought. The traditionalist revival empowered religious leaders like Pope who led the successful revolt of 1680. A century of Spanish cultural imperialism had left its mark, however, Hispanizing the Pueblos’ language and material culture. After the Spanish reconquest (1693-96) most became dependents or allies of their conquerors.
In the eighteenth century, New Mexico’s demographically dominant groups became the Spanish colonists and their Ute and Apache (genizaro) slaves. The most important social asset in the province became not harmony or faith, but honor: male military and sexual prowess, female chastity, and familial “purity of blood.” Hispanic New Mexicans turned marriage into a mechanism for preserving their families’ honor and property, with the Church and state serving as guarantors. Marriage became, over time, a contract between younger and younger men and women, as family choice came before individual choice. The ideal of romantic, companionate marriage changed this somewhat in the early nineteenth century, but marital unions remained racially endogamous even if they became less “status-endogamous.” Genizaros, meanwhile, stood outside of this system of honor-preservation because the Spanish saw them as devoid of honor. They were conquered peoples, exploited physically and sexually, and lacked the colonists’ “uncorrupted blood.” The Bourbon reforms of 1760-1820 did free genizaro slaves from bondage and gave them some access to wage labor, but they remained a racially marginalized and socially dishonored group until after the end of Spanish rule.
Franciscan missionaries made in the seventeenth century a vigorous effort to destroy the Pueblo Indians’ spiritual old regime. They reserved their missions’ rations for Christian converts, allowed only devout Christian Puebloans to marry, and humiliated or persecuted Native American religious leaders. Rather than rejecting the domineering newcomers outright, many Puebloans chose to make a pretense of conversion for their own survival. Christianity had enough in common with traditional Pueblo religious life – religious holidays, sanguinary rituals (like flagellation), etc. – to make this pretense possible. In the mid-1600s, however, revelations of priestly corruption and sexual abuse of Pueblo women undermined what little authority the padres enjoyed. The Pueblos again implored their masked gods, the katsinas, to protect them from disease and drought. The traditionalist revival empowered religious leaders like Pope who led the successful revolt of 1680. A century of Spanish cultural imperialism had left its mark, however, Hispanizing the Pueblos’ language and material culture. After the Spanish reconquest (1693-96) most became dependents or allies of their conquerors.
In the eighteenth century, New Mexico’s demographically dominant groups became the Spanish colonists and their Ute and Apache (genizaro) slaves. The most important social asset in the province became not harmony or faith, but honor: male military and sexual prowess, female chastity, and familial “purity of blood.” Hispanic New Mexicans turned marriage into a mechanism for preserving their families’ honor and property, with the Church and state serving as guarantors. Marriage became, over time, a contract between younger and younger men and women, as family choice came before individual choice. The ideal of romantic, companionate marriage changed this somewhat in the early nineteenth century, but marital unions remained racially endogamous even if they became less “status-endogamous.” Genizaros, meanwhile, stood outside of this system of honor-preservation because the Spanish saw them as devoid of honor. They were conquered peoples, exploited physically and sexually, and lacked the colonists’ “uncorrupted blood.” The Bourbon reforms of 1760-1820 did free genizaro slaves from bondage and gave them some access to wage labor, but they remained a racially marginalized and socially dishonored group until after the end of Spanish rule.
June 9, 2008
I didn't find this book incredibly useful as a historical resource. The author focuses too much on the celibacy of priests and draws sexual conclusions from inoculous doctrine. This book did provide a good general background for the Pueblo Indians, but did not use his sources in a reliable way. I would not reccomend this book.
February 18, 2009
Not of fantastic readability-- but his claims are really interesting, and that makes up for some of that. There are a few places that seem to get passed over-- like where he mentions that the Pueblo had slaves before the Spanish arrived-- but doesn't discuss that in the least, even to say that there is little record of it.
January 6, 2012
This book is mistitled. It is much more a history of Spain's New Mexico colony than it is about marriage and sexuality. Although there is some interesting arguments made about the importance of marriage laws and societal change from the Native American ways of life to the Spanish, too much of this just becomes statistics that are too much to comprehend at the end of the lengthy book.
June 23, 2007
Being from New Mexico, this book was an eye opener. I thought that I knew my state's history, but I absolutely had a skewed perception (text book version). Anyway, this is a really interesting book, whether you're into New Mexican or Latino History, or if you're interested in cultural syncretism.
January 9, 2009
An award-winning history of the relationships in colonial New Mexico between the indigenous Pueblos and the Spanish Franciscan priests who came to "Christianize" them. Gutierrez did a prodigious amount of research for this book, but many Native American scholars had issues with his methodology.
October 16, 2009
Incredibly interesting look at the encounter between the Pueblo Indians and the Spanish in New Mexico. Highly detailed and cogent analysis of the role of marriage in determining power relationships within society.
February 13, 2012
I really enjoyed this book, even though it was used for a class of mine. However, all the statistics and tables/charts in it lost me a few times I still found it to be incredibly informative and an easy read.
January 18, 2009
You just have to love the title!
December 29, 2009
While the writing is a bit academic and obtuse, the book takes a major step is shattering the myth of the benefits of Spanish missions.
June 11, 2013
Read for a class very long time ago and felt it a bit pretentious but it introduce some different points of view and isn't that good thing.
September 5, 2016
Slightly repetitive, but relatively well researched. I had hoped it would focus more on Puebloan interactions with Christianity.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews