Massacre Cave by Colby van Wagoner

Chapter One

         In 1770, many of the Navajo clans had settled among the red rock towers and plateaus in the valleys of Canyon de Chelly and Canyon Del Meurto of the Crow Mountain in northeastern Arizona. The landscapes were colored with bright red rocks and cream colored mud coating the hills, arches and plateaus of the valleys and prairie. Large rock towers decorated the land, most were red, while others were dark and light cream colored browns and yellows.
         Livestock was becoming a major part of the Navajo life, giving subsistence, colorful clothing and woven blankets, which provided warmth in the winter season and goods for trading. They were growing corn, beans and squash in the warmer times of the seasons, moving away from their lifestyle of hunting deer, mountain sheep, antelope and rabbit by becoming exceptional sheepherders.
Spanish settlers introduced Churro sheep into the territory for grazing and trade. Many of the clans were forced to relocate to a new land as the sheep consumed the grass. The Red Running Into The Water People Clan were raiding Spanish settlers and ranchers moving into the southwest territories. They were taking their horses for hunting and fighting and their sheep to sustain the herds of their clan, during the harsh winter seasons.
         1775 brought the American Revolution with resistance in the thirteen eastern colonies of North America. American patriots were frustrated with British rule and declared their independence. After the seven years of fighting, it was declared that the colonies won victory, creating the first states of North America. News of the formation of the new states within North America traveled from the east coast to the southwestern territories, causing new concerns within the Spanish government.
         Many of the frontiersmen were leaving the eastern colonies to seek new beginnings in the western territories. The frontiersman heard of the freedoms in the unsettled lands and were drawn to them with hopes of living own their own terms. Living on their own land, hunting game and growing crops on untaxed lands drew them to the west. With the defeat of the British and the formation of the thirteen new states, the United States government began looking for expansion and colonization and quickly focused on the surrounding territories.
         Talk within the United States quickly organized and gained the support of the frontiersman and people living in North America, focusing on arranging and spreading the word of benefits by joining the states and what it could offer. The swift willingness of the people living in the eastern territories to form statehood and alliances with the original colonies and expand was met with little conflict, giving the newly formed government more options and interests to expand.
         By 1785, the Spanish was sending frequent military expeditions against the Navajo. In many of the battles, the Navajo of the Red Running Into The Water People Clan had become known by the Spanish and other surrounding native tribes, as great warriors. They were not living as settled tribes in villages, but as a people moving throughout various locations in Arizona and New Mexico. Their Hogan's were being destroyed in these raids, but their living structures were easily rebuilt by using poles, brush and mud from their surroundings.
         At the turn of the century, in 1800, the southwestern territories were turning unsettled and brutal for the natives and travelers passing through the land. It was known by all those daring to travel in small numbers; the likelihood of attack would be eminent. Yearly widespread famines were caused by droughts and overgrazing of the land in the southwest territories.
         The Near The Mountain People Clan was flourishing in the trade of woven blankets, which were intricately woven with their unique looms. The village silversmiths were making beautiful handmade bracelets, tobacco flasks and necklaces. As their experience progressed, they added earrings, buckles, bolos and hair ornaments and squash blossom necklaces. To overcome the drought and overgrazed lands, the people were able to supplement their supplies by trading with other tribes in the area and travelers passing through on their way to the Pacific.
         Pawnee, Ute and Apache raiders were conducting numerous raids and bloody attacks on opposing tribes, capturing natives and forcing them to work as slaves. Others would be sold or traded to the Spaniards for horses, weapons and food. Rumors of this quickly spread throughout the tribes and clans. Not only were natives captured and sold as slaves, the Spaniards' Catholic Churches were forcing the captives into baptism and made to worship in unfamiliar ceremonies of the missions.
         In the Spanish mission, near the Spanish settlement of Fort Cebolleta, there were many Native captives being held. Some of the younger captives were taken into the mission and given strict guidelines and taught the religious ways and language of the church. Rumors were simply ignored regarding abuse and neglect of the younger captives. Women were often taken then found bruised and beaten in the surrounding encampments. They were unable to speak the language or identify their aggressors, so investigations or further inquiries were not undertaken.
         Often times, the disappearance of captives would end up with no resolution. Other times, Spanish soldiers and scouts would return to the encampment with unidentified remains of Navajo captives. The body’s wounds and the killings matched those of other bodies recovered, indicating a pattern in the way the women were killed. Investigations undertaken in the types of murders, happening around the Cebolleta, turned up that a knife was used in many of the killings and the patterns were similar.
         Sometimes, the recovered bodies had been mangled by the local wildlife; coyotes, wolves, buzzards and were beyond examinations. Spanish medical doctors were concerned after seeing the slayings, but Spanish government officials were not, until some of the bodies started to be Spanish victims. The Spanish governor Juanalito Salazaro, of the New Mexico territory, was beginning to make secret promises between tribes, instigating the force behind the raids of the opposing native tribes and the Navajo clans.
         He promised the Ute tribe he would remain neutral in the war they were planning against the Navajos. His reasoning to remain neutral was to gain new land and workers for Spanish ranchers and the government. Governor Salazaro set up a meeting with the chief of the Ute tribes Pajamachk and tribal elders, in order to discuss the Ute plans to invade the strong Red Running Into The Water People Clan. The meeting was arranged and it was agreed to take place, in an open area, north of the Spanish military settlement Cebolleta. This arrangement was made in order to make both parties feel more at ease, since not long before, the Spanish attacked the Ute tribes in their conquests over the southwest territories. Members of the Ute tribe and Spanish military set up a temporary encampment for the meeting to take place.
         The governor arrived at the encampment, after chief Pajamachk and the two entered a large tent for the meeting. Pajamachk stood before the governor and greeted him.
         "Greetings, Governor Salazaro!"
         "Greetings chief," replied the governor.
         "Please sir," the governor raised his hand towards a small makeshift table, surrounded by blankets. The governor and chief sat down on the blankets, adjusting their clothes to make them feel more comfortable in the sitting position.
         Pajamachk spoke first, "Governor Salazaro, we are moving into a position of war with one of the strong Navajo tribes, the Red Running Into The Water People Clan. We plan to move into this war in the coming month and ask that you agree to stay out of the battle."
Governor Salazaro replied, "Chief, we have no desire to interfere with your war plans.” The Governor reached for a cigar, lit it and took a few puffs, blowing the smoke into the air. “You can be assured the Spanish military will not interfere with your plans, but also understand we cannot assist you in any way, since the Spanish has made many alliances with the Navajo clans in the area.”
         The Governor continued “The Red Running Into The Water People Clan entered into an alliance with the Spanish and we will not interfere with the clan’s activities and they in turn would not attack the Spanish ranchers or their settlements." The chief looked at the governor, knowing the Spaniards would keep to this agreement. "Governor, we understand that you have had many troubles with the Comanche to the east?"
         The governor, looking concerned replied, "Yes Chief, this is true. The Comanche has been located miles east of Cebolleta; we are prepared to meet their warriors in the coming days."
         Pajamachk extended his arms, "We can offer assistance in this battle should you require our Ute warriors."
         The Governor let out a boisterous laugh, "Chief, while I thank you for the offer, my Spanish Lieutenant Manuel will be leading soldiers in the battle and he will prevail."
         The chief looking surprised at the governor’s response and insisted, "Governor, the Comanche are not to be underestimated, their tactics are well known throughout the tribes for being fierce and unforgiving!"
         The governor, too egotistical to accept, replied, "Chief, listen, my soldiers and their leaders are well equipped with the weaponry and tactics to easily overtake the Comanche."
         The chief shrugged of the governor’s response and stood. "Blessings in your war plans and to your family as well. I will now return to my people and continue to prepare my war parties." The chief stood, turned and left the tent with the other elders, allowing no time for the governor to stand from the blankets. The governor sat in confusion at the chief’s quick exit and pondered the meeting that had just occurred. He took a few puffs from his cigar and stared at the opening of the tent.
         Throughout the southwestern territories, other tribes were fighting to maintain their lands as well. The Pawnee, Ute and Apache had become swept up in the Spanish conquest for land. Tribes were being sent, one against the other by Spanish officials in order to break down any possible alliances forming between the tribes. Any alliances between tribes would build power within the tribal nations and make the Spanish conquest of land and slaves difficult.
         The Spanish was beginning to have trouble from the Comanche, east of New Mexico, who were recently armed with French weapons. They had become a dangerous threat to the Spaniards military settlement Cebolleta. The Spaniard soldiers and Comanche warriors were prepared to meet in battle in a wide open valley, during the cold winter season.
         The battle presented the Spanish soldiers fighting tactics they were unfamiliar with and unable to defend against. The tactics of the Comanche warriors were chaotic and scattered but precise and effective. As the Spanish soldiers advanced, they were first met with an attack head on from a large group of warriors. The Spanish soldiers easily engaged the Comanche, firing their powder rifles. Warriors were being struck by the hail of bullets and falling from the shots, in moments it looked as though the soldiers would easily take the warriors.
         As the Spanish soldiers advanced forward, taking the initial strike, they were flanked from the sides and rear by another war party of fearless and determined Comanche warriors. Not only did the Comanche warriors attack with the weapons of the French, they used their arrows and axes. They hid under covered crawl spaces located at key areas in the open valley.
         When the Spanish soldiers were flanked from the sides, their retreats led them straight into the hidden crawlspace traps sprung by the warriors. The soldiers were soon overtaken by the Comanche and the clubs, axes and knives of the warriors were red with the blood of the Spanish soldiers.
         Defeated, the remaining Spanish soldiers were taken to a grove, into the center of the valley and strung up with ropes to the trees. The fearless and relentless Comanche warriors cut the remaining soldiers' throats, as they hung from the trees by their ankles.
The soldiers were bled and their hearts cut out from their chests. Their scalps were cut from their heads with dull knives and taken by the warriors as a sign of victory. The leader of the Spanish soldier's head was chopped from his body and put in a cloth satchel. Machkedagik, the Comanche war party’s leader, delivered the cloth satchel to the military settlement Cebolleta and presented it to the Spaniard military officials in charge of the camp, indicating their army had been defeated.
         The Spanish now recognized this threat and sought an alliance with the Comanche tribes with promises of rewards from attacks on not only the Navajo tribes, but also the Ute, Apache and Pawnee. The Spanish kept the alliances secret from each of the tribes and tribal leaders, in order to maintain their control. They continued to gain control of the tribes in order to carry out their conquests of land.
They had captured and converted many of the native people to the Spaniards' Churches and retained the converts as slaves to work for the Spanish government and ranchers. Up to the turn of the century, the Spaniards had been successful in the capture of not only thousands of Navajo, but also capturing natives from other tribes of the area to be sold or traded for weapons to supply the Spanish army.
         Native tribes and clans of the Southwest territories were becoming wary of the Spaniards intentions. There were rumors of them capturing and enslaving their people. The opposition and resistance of the natives became more widespread as tribes and clans were forming alliances to defend their people and land from the Spaniards. There were many meetings between leaders of the surrounding tribes and Spanish officials. Some of the meetings were with leaders of the Navajo, others with the opposing tribes of the Pawnee, Ute and Apache.
         With all the raids and battles between the Spanish and native tribes, the Navajo was becoming split in the alliances made between their own people. The Navajo tribes were split from each other, with all the deceptive practices the Spanish were creating between them.