White] THE PUEBLO OF SIA, NEW MEXICO 23 
that the Sia and the Santa Ana wished to return to their homes and 
were willing to pledge allegiance to Spanish rule (Hackett, 1916, 
pp. 76, 124-125). Otermin was unsuccessful, however, and he soon 
returned to El Paso del Norte. For a few years the pueblos remained 
undisturbed. 
In the summer of 1687 Pedro Reneros de Posada, then Governor 
at El Paso, made an attempt at reconquest. He captured the pueblo 
of Santa Ana, burned many houses, and killed a number of Indians. 
He then pushed on to Sia, but succeeded only in capturing some horses 
and sheep. In the following year, however, Domingo Jironza Petriz 
de Cruzate, who succeeded Posada as governor, invaded the Jemez 
valley. Virtually all accounts state that he “destroyed” the pueblo 
of Sia and killed a large portion of its inhabitants in a blazing and 
bloody encounter. Four medicinemen were captured and shot in 
the plaza, and .:70 Sias were taken as captives to El Paso, where 
they were compelled to serve for 10 years “fas punishment for their 
apostasy” (Espinosa, 1940, pp. 17-18, and 1942, p. 32, n. 24; Escalante, 
1900, p. 312). 
A remarkable figure emerged from the conquest of Sia: Bartolomé 
de Ojeda. He was a Sia Indian although he may have had a strain 
of Spanish blood. He fought the Spaniards with great bravery, but 
after being severely wounded and fearing that he was going to die, he 
gave himself up to the Spaniards and asked to have a priest hear his 
confession. He was taken to El Paso by Cruzate. He later returned 
and became governor of Sia (Espinosa, 1942, p. 20, n. 23). 
The reconquest of the pueblos was eventually effected by Gen. Don 
Diego de Vargas. In the fall of 1692 his campaign brought him to 
the Pueblo of Sia, which he found deserted. One of his soldiers found 
a church bell which the Indians had buried. De Vargas ordered it 
reburied. After spending the night at ruined Sia, Vargas proceeded 
to the Cerro Colorado near Jemez, where the Sia and Indians from 
other pueblos had sought refuge; the Sia had built there a pueblo of 
their own. As Vargas approached, the Sia descended to meet him. 
They greeted him “with great reverence, and they all had crosses in 
their hands” (Espinosa, 1940, p. 176). Then they all entered the 
pueblo of the Sia, where Vargas assembled them in the plaza and 
addressed them “through the Indian Bartolo, who served as inter- 
preter.”” One hundred twenty-three Indians were baptized. At the 
request of the chief of the Sia, Antonio Malacate, Vargas formally 
installed a new chief, Cristobal, since Malacate was too old and too 
ill to perform his duties. Vargas enjoined the new chief to perform 
his duties well and to be loyal and obedient to the Spanish Crown and 
Church. This the chief promised to do (ibid., pp. 177-178). 
