JUMENCO INDIANS

THESE FOLKS WERE A PROMINENT TRIBE WHO INHABITED WESTERN TEXAS AND ADJACENT NEW MEXICO NEAR LA JUNTA. THEY HAD NEARLY DISAPPEARED BY 1750, AND SPANISH EXPLORERS WERE HERE IN THE 1500'S. SCHOLARS ARE STILL UNSURE IF THEY WERE A SINGLE WIDELY SCATTERED TRIBE OR IF IT WAS A GENERIC TERM USED TO REFER TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT GROUPS.

SPANISH RECORDS FROM THE 16TH TO 18TH CENTURY REFER TO THEM AS JUMERO. LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THEM AS HUNTERS, FARMERS, OR TRADERS. CABEZA DE VACAS DESCRIBED THEM IN 1535 AS PEOPLE WITH THE BEST BODIES THAT THEY SAW AND GREATEST LIVELINESS.THEY COOKED THEIR FOOD IN GOURDS IN WHICH HOT STONES WERE DROPPED. JUMENCO FOLKS WERE USED BY SPANIARDS IN 1582 AS AN AGRICULTURAL PEOPLE NEAR LA JUNTA. THEY CALLED THEM BUFFALO HUNTERS. THEY TRAVELED WIDELY TO TRADE MEAT AND SKINS FOR AGRICULTURAL PEOPLE NEAR LA JUNTA. THEY CALLED THEM BUFFALO HUNTERS. THEY TRAVELED WIDELY TO TRADE MEAT AND SKINS FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. THE GRAN QUIVERA WAS THE LARGEST PUEBLO. THEY SPECULATED THAT THE JUMANO OF TOMPICO PUEBLO WERE ANCESTORS OF KIOWA. THE SCHOLARS AGREE THAT THEY WERE NOMADIC BISON HUNTING FOLKS OF THE PECOS AND CONCHO RIVER VALLEYS OF TEXAS. BY 1750 THEY WERE MOSTLY ABSORBED BY THE APACHE.

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