Near Mountainair in Torrance County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Famine and War
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Hambruna y guerra
Photographed by James Hulse, April 10, 2025
1. Famine and War / Hambruna y guerra Marker
...this kingdom is...nearly exhausted...the whole land is at War... no road is safe; everyone travels at risk of his life, for the heathen patrol them all....for three years no Crops have been harvested. Last year a great many Christian Indians starved, left dead along the roads, in the ravines, and in their huts. There were towns like Las Humanas where more than 450 starved. Now the same Calamity still prevails, for in the whole kingdom there is not a bushel basket of corn, nor of wheat to be had at any price....
Friar Juan Bernal, April 1, 1669
In the 1670s, people from Quarai and the other Salinas missions moved back to the safety of the Rio Grande pueblos - south and west of the mountains you see ahead in the distance.
...está este reyno...muy apurado...es... toda la tierra de Guerra... y encuéntrase no aver ningún camino seguro, sino todos con riesgo de la vida porque los infieles todo lo andan.
...es que a tres años no sacase Bastimiento, y el año pasado...murieron de hambre muchos christianos indios quedándose muertos por los caminos,
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Fray Juan Bernal, 1 de abril de 1669
En los años de 1670, la gente de Quarai y de las otras misiones de Salinas se mudaron hacia pueblos más seguros en el Río Grande - al sur y oeste de las montañas que ven adelante en la distancia.
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical date for this entry is April 1, 1669.
Location. 34° 35.682′ N, 106° 17.811′ W. Marker is near Mountainair, New Mexico, in Torrance County. It is on Manzano Quari Road one mile west of New Mexico Route 55. The marker is located on the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument - Quarai Unit. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 122 Manzano Quari Rd, Mountainair NM 87036, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Albuquerque. It is also in the American Southwest. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Village of Quarai / Pueblo de Quaral (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); 1830 Church / Iglesia de 1830 (about 300 feet away); Administration of Souls / Administración de almas
Photographed by James Hulse, April 10, 2025
2. The view of the Famine and War Marker along the walkway
Also see . . . Salt, Societies, and Spirituality: A Tale of Diverse Cultures. Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
Tucked away in the middle of New Mexico you’ll find Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. Its three distinct sites offer a glimpse into a unique time in history—a time entrenched with cultural borrowing, conflict and struggles. These sites continue to stand as reminders of the Spanish and Pueblo peoples’ early encounters and prompt exploration of today’s interactions among different people.(Submitted on June 7, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 13, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 7, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 112 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 9, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
