The Zia Pueblo and the New Mexico State Flag

January 6, 2006, marks the ninety-fourth anniversary of the admittance of the state of  New Mexico to the Union. While many articles have been written about the "Land of Enchantment", not many have sought to examine the history of the most prominent symbol of the state; her flag. 

Most Americans are familiar with the unique design of the New Mexico state flag. Many assume the red sun symbol on a deep yellow background references the state's southwest location and the fact that it gets plenty of sun. This is partly true, but the symbol represents so much more. The Zia, as it is often called, is an ancient symbol which does represent the sun. It was discovered in the 1800's on a water jar at Zia Pueblo, in the northern part of the state, about thirty miles northwest of Albuquerque. The Pueblo Indians inhabited New Mexico centuries before the arrival of Europeans. Their love of peace and tolerance led to the loss of their ancestral lands to other indian tribes and gold-seeking conquistadores, and eventually to white man's "manifest destiny". The Zia Pueblo are just one of nineteen branches of the tribe, living on a reservation in the Sierra Nacimiento Mountains. The Zia and other Pueblo always tried to live in harmony not only with nature, but with the foreign invaders who took their lands. They knew that no man could truely own the land, so they strove to cooperate with the foreigners for the benefit of all. The foreigners, however, finally managed, as they always did, to push the friendly natives to the edge.