The IndiansIt wasn't long after the Spanish had landed in the New World, they began their exploitation of the land and its' people. When the Indians finally learned that the Spaniards were not "Gods", and that their true intentions were to enslave them to work the mines, they finally figured it out. "The Spanish were looking for the Seven Cities of Cibola", and nothing was going to stop them. "Mas Alla" was soon to be the answer to this question. "Farther On" and pointing in the direction that the Indians wanted them to go. They really didn't care where the Spaniards went, as long as it took them farther away from where they were. Tribe after tribe met the greedy, heavy handed Spaniards. Accepting them at first and then, when they no longer could put up with the slavery, brutality, their women being raped, pillaging their land and resources, they finally rebelled. Hundreds of stories, now legends, of Indians all over the New World, taking back what they believed was rightfully theirs. Killing the Spaniards and secreting the forced- labored gold, silver or church treasures. The Indians were not as "simple", as they wanted us to believe. They knew about the trading of "commodities". They have been trading with other Indian tribes for centuries. Now these strangers come into your land, asking you where they may find this yellow metal. Then after finding this yellow metal, they force you to dig it up for them. Due to the period of the time, many conflicts took place. Between the Indians and Spaniards, other tribes, cavalry, pioneers, buffalo hunters, and others. These conflicts, all too often, had an untimely demise to those that knew where these vast stores were hidden. This is why many of these lost treasures are still lost today. They were not able to hand down this information to their ancestors. |
| Think about this. The Chief was the head of his tribe, his family. He was always thinking about the welfare of his family. His family may not have need for a commodity of this type at the present. But what about his family?s future?
Of the Indians that hid these caches, was the Chief, Medicine Man and the Chief?s most trusted braves. The Chief was responsible for handing down the exact location to his successor. The Medicine Man, the spiritual leader, either made the site a shrine or the area taboo for the rest of the tribe. (They did not trust all the members of the tribe with this knowledge, any more than we trust all the members of our families.) They observed how the Spanish used monuments, trailmarkers, signs, symbols and death traps to conceal their treasures. The Indians were forced to construct all of them. We cannot be so ?naive/simple? to believe that they did not also use deception or forget these facts, to conceal the treasures, which they procured from the Spanish. Most treasure legends pertaining to the Indians, are of two types. 1. Taking the church treasures and gold and throwing it in an area with water. 2. Taking the gold/church treasures and concealing it someplace. On a mountain, peak, cave or mine. They knew that this yellow metal must be ?Something? important, for these people to want it so bad. Seeing it being smelted down and packed out by the burro load. We do not have to go far, to figure out some of the thinking of those chiefs that had visions of his tribe?s future. Today we think about our families future. Pretend that you are an Indian and know about a concealed treasure. ?Your rainy day fund? so to speak. Now some Spaniard from this time period, asks you where the treasure is hidden. Are you going to give him the location or try to continually deceive these Spaniards. Not one of your people told the Spaniards of their impending doom, prior to the massacre. How could you betray the trust of your family?s interest? You will either tell them that you hear that it is in some cave/mine on some mountain or peak. ?Mas Alla?. Well, you just opened the can of worms to you and you family. The Spaniard realizes that someone knows that the treasure is buried on land. If one person knows, there might be others. Now you invite more questioning by them. Even if it is by torture. But if you tell them that the treasure was thrown in the river, down a well or in a lake, this is the simplest kind of lie to remember. No details to give to the Spanish. There was not much they could do. They could still kill you, just because... There have been many finds where the bones, armor, weapons, clothing and horses of Spaniards, have been found in concealed mines. Who put them here? The Indians! Do you think that after the massacre, the Indians went out and dug proper graves for these cruel people? I don?t think so. The Spaniards wanted this commodity so bad, that they should be surrounded with it for all eternity. The Indians had their form of documentation. Whatever you call it: Rock art, pictographs, petroglyphs, signs and symbols. They also have signs for treasure, concealed, hidden and buried. (See Indian signs & symbols, classroom under construction) "Be Safe Out There" "Hawkeye" The rest of classroom is still in the lesson planning stages. Please come back after our construction dust has settled. |