White] THE PUEBLO OF SIA, NEW MEXICO 63 
Lists of missionaries who have served at Sia are given by Scholes 
and Bloom (1944, p. 334) and by Dominguez (1956, pp. 150, 157, 
163-164, 172, 174). 
As previously noted (p. 21), Sia was named “Sant Pedro y Sant 
Pablo” by Ofiate in 1598, but on the establishment of the mission early 
in the 17th century it became known as Nuestra Sejfiora de la Asuncién 
de Sia, which has been its name since that time (Hodge, 1933, p. 226). 
One informant offered the following legend of how Christianity 
~ came to Sia: 
The first Catholic priest to enter the Rio Grande valley went first to Sia. He 
wanted to convert the people to Christianity. The priests and officers of Sia 
held many meetings at which they discussed this matter. They finally decided 
to adopt Catholicism because it was the faith of the children of Naotsityi (one 
of the supernaturals who figure prominently in the myth of emergence; see 
“Cosmology,” p. 115). All of the Sias became Christians. Then the officers of 
Sia went to all the neighboring pueblos requesting them to send representatives 
to Sia to be converted. All the pueblos did so except Sandia, which refused. 
Thereupon, Sia sent 25 warriors to Sandia to insist that they become converted. 
The Sandias stubbornly refused, so the Sia warriors killed all the men at Sandia 
except five or six. Then the Sandias gave in and accepted Christianity. 
The Catholic priest Christianized all the pueblos by baptising their represent- 
atives in the south plaza at Sia. ‘The cross that stands there now marks the 
spot where the baptisms took place. 
This is, of course, a fanciful tale. It expresses well the conception 
that each pueblo has of itself: it ranks first in all matters of custom 
and faith. It is true, as we have already noted, that the Sia sided 
with the Spaniards after the Revolt of 1680, against the Jemez, Santo 
Domingo, Cochiti, Acoma, and Zufii pueblos. But in this they were 
not alone; San Felipe and Santa Ana were their allies, also. 
As previously noted (p. 24), the church at Sia was not destroyed 
in the Revolt of 1680, although it was much damaged. De Vargas 
ordered its repair and offered tools for this purpose. I would agree 
with Kubler (1940, p. 92) who observes that “no church ruins have 
been discovered in the neighborhood of Zia, so it may be assumed 
that the Zias returned to their pre-Rebellion village, and repaired 
the church, which is the one visible there today. . .” although 
Bandelier (1892, p. 196) believed that the present church does not 
stand on the site, and that it is not a reconstruction, of the prerevolt 
church. The church has been rebuilt, revised, and repaired several 
times since 1700. Church, altar, sacristy, and convent, together with 
their furnishings, were described in some detail and precision by 
Dominguez (1956, pp. 171-75) in 1776: 
High Altar: Near the middle of the wall hangs a large canvas, old but not 
torn,. . . representing Our Lady of the Assumption, which the King gave. Above 
this painting is a small old oil painting. . . of St. Anthony Abbot. At the sides 
two small old oil paintings on canvas of St. Matthew and St. Bartholomew. 
