Historical Marker
Pueblo of Zuni
Zuni, McKinley County · New Mexico
The panel's last line happened on May 23, 1970, when Governor Robert E. Lewis and an assistant interior secretary signed the takeover at Zuni in two sets of documents, one in English and one in Zuni. The authority was old: an 1834 law let a tribe the government judged competent direct its own blacksmiths, teachers and farmers. Under it the governor took over the Bureau superintendent's job on a reservation of 405,000 acres and 5,000 people. The commissioner of Indian affairs said it would be the first of many such agreements.
What the plaque says
Official Scenic Historic Marker Pueblo of Zuni The six original Zuni pueblos were the legendary "Seven Cities of Cibola" sought by Vasquez de Coronado in 1540. They were abandoned during the Pueblo Revolt, and the present pueblo was settled in 1699 after the Spanish reconquest. In 1970 Zuni became the first Indian community to administer its own reservation affairs.
Where it stands
35.07550, -108.81244 · Directions
More markers nearby
- Pueblo of Zuni — 2.9 mi
- Zuni Olla Maidens — 2.9 mi
- Matilda Coxe Stevenson (1849-1915) — 24 mi
- Manuelito Area — 25 mi