Marc Simmons: Tribe massacred its own for religious treason

One of my favorite periodicals is Indian Trader, published out of Gallup. The articles are slanted toward interests of Indian art and artifact collectors. But good historical pieces are also included.

An excellent example was Massacre on Antelope Mesa by Alex Witzeman. It deals with a tragic and little known episode that occurred among the Hopi in late 1700.

The incident was the massacre of the pueblo of Awatovi, perhaps the most complete act of genocide ever recorded in the Southwest. For years, I have been collecting material on the subject and now have a substantial file.

Even after 300 years, the nature and extent of this tragedy is difficult to explain. A distinguished Taos author, the late Frank Waters, once wrote that the massacre seared the Hopi’s soul with “a guilt they were to bear forever.”