Documentary History of the Rio Grande Pueblos of New Mexico; I. Bibliographic Introduction

In this opening section the scholar sets out a careful plan to trace the early history of the Rio Grande Pueblo villages through the surviving written record. Drawing on decades of field experience with the Archaeological Institute of America, he promises a documentary approach similar to his earlier work on the Zuni, relying on original Spanish, German, and other colonial sources while acknowledging their biases. The introduction explains why folklore will be mentioned only when it appears in the documents themselves, keeping the narrative firmly anchored in what the historic record actually says.

The author also warns listeners about the linguistic hurdles that accompany seventeenth‑century texts—archaic spellings, regional idioms, and the imperfect rendering of native words. He stresses the importance of transparent footnotes and quotations, treating them as a duty to both the original writers and the modern reader. This candid discussion of methodology prepares the audience for a scholarly yet accessible journey into the Pueblo past.