New Mexico Brujería and the Fear of the Unknown with Rob Martínez, State Historian

New Mexico State Historian Rob Martínez tells the story of the residents of Abiquiu who were accused of being witches and sorcerers in the 1700s and unpacks the complexity of power dynamics and differing cultural norms and beliefs. In the 1760s, accusations of witchcraft and sorcery emerged in Abiquiu. This was not the first time such accusations were made—beginning in the 1600s, while the region was a distant territory under Spanish rule, Spanish settlers would sometimes call their neighbors witches. These accusations included reports of people flying through the air, being possessed by demons, and shape shifting. In the 1760s, the Spanish Inquisition got involved. In looking back at this history, how do we make sense of it? Were real spells being cast or was there a mismatch between reality and perception? New Mexico State Historian has been digging into this history since he was in graduate school at the University of New Mexico. “There were people trying to get some power in systems where they had very little power at times,” says Martínez. “I mean, the governor had power. The priest had power. Uh, the, the Spanish settlers had power. And so the native people tended to find ways to intimidate those Spanish authorities and Spanish settlers, in a way weaponizing their own ideas against them.” Featured Guest: New Mexico State Historian Rob Martinez Rob’s short histories YouTube channel Recommended Encounter Culture Episodes: What Have the Trees Seen? New Mexico Folklore at Los Luceros Historic Site A History of Genízaro Identity in the Heart of New Mexico with Dr. Gregorio Gonzalez Truth and Tragedy: The Timeless Mythology of La Llorona with Irene Vásquez at University of Mexico Recommended El Palacio Articles: El Palacio, Vol. 80, No. 2: An issue dedicated to “Southwest Witchcraft,” published 1974 Mentioned in this Episode “Witch Tales of New Mexico,” by Rob Martinez, New Mexico Magazine The Witches of Abiquiu (UNM Press), by Malcolm Ebright and Rick Hendricks We’d love to hear from you! Let us know what you loved about the episode, share a personal story it made you think of, or ask us a question at [email protected]. You can write a regular email or record a short voice memo and attach it for us to listen to. Visit newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours, and more. Our favorite way to fully experience everything they have to offer is with the New Mexico CulturePass. Reserve yours online! If you love New Mexico, you’ll love El Palacio Magazine! Subscribe to El Palacio today. Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Emily Withnall, editor at El Palacio Magazine Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Technical Director & Post-Production Audio: Edwin R. Ruiz Editor & Production Manager: Alex Riegler Associate Producer & Editor: Monica Braine (Assiniboine/Lakota) Theme Music: D’Santi Nava Instagram: @newmexicanculture and @elpalaciomagazine