Suma people facts for kids
The Suma (also known as Zuma or Zumana) were a group of Native American people. They lived in what is now northern Chihuahua, Mexico, and western Texas. The Suma were hunter-gatherers, meaning they moved around to find food. They did not farm much, if at all. Over time, the Suma joined with Apache groups and the Mestizo people of northern Mexico. Because of this, the Suma no longer exist as a separate group.
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Who Were the Suma People?
It can be tricky to understand the different Native American groups who lived near the Rio Grande in west Texas. Many groups are sometimes called Jumanos. However, this name usually refers to Plains Indians who lived in the Pecos River and Concho River valleys. These Jumanos traveled to trade with people in the Rio Grande Valley.
Near a place called La Junta de los Rios, where the Rio Grande and the Rio Conchos meet, many farming villages existed. The Spanish gave the people living there many different names. It's not clear if these La Junta Indians were one group or many different groups speaking different languages. We also don't know if they were related to the traveling Jumano people.
Where Did the Suma Live?
The Suma lived along the Rio Grande, southeast of El Paso. Their territory stretched about 200 miles west from the Rio Grande valley. This area included places like Janos and Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chihuahua. The Janos and Jocomes people, who lived in northwestern Chihuahua, were likely related to the Suma.
Upstream from La Junta, along the Rio Grande, were the people known as the Suma. Further upstream from El Paso were the Manso Indians. The Manso and Suma seemed to have similar ways of life. However, it's not certain if they spoke the same language.
Some experts think the people near El Paso and La Junta were already mixed when the Spanish arrived. They believe the Spanish separated them to make them easier to control. Others think the Manso, Suma, Jumano, and La Junta Indians became mixed because they faced threats from the Spanish. Their populations also decreased due to slave raids and diseases from Europe.
How Did the Suma Live?
Since the Suma were hunter-gatherers, they did not have permanent homes. In the winter, they lived along the Rio Grande. In the summer, they spread out in small groups. They did this to find plants and animals across their land.
Early visitors described the Suma as hunters. They ate all kinds of wild game, reptiles, and acorns. They also ate mesquite beans, cactus fruits, roots, and seeds. They had no knowledge of farming and lived a "carefree life." The Suma also sometimes raided their farming neighbors, the Opata, who lived to the west in Sonora.
What Language Did the Suma Speak?
We do not know what language the Suma spoke. Some scholars believe it might have been part of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Others have suggested it was related to Athabaskan languages, like those spoken by the Apache.
History of the Suma People
The Suma and Manso people are thought to be descendants of the Jornada Mogollon culture. Around 1450, the Mogollon villages near El Paso were left empty. The Mogollon people seemed to stop farming and became hunter-gatherers.
The Suma were not one big political group. Instead, they were made up of several related bands. Each band acted on its own.
First Encounters with Europeans
It is believed that Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca might have met the Suma in 1535. However, the first clear mention of them was by Antonio de Espejo in 1583. He called them the Caguates. He was welcomed by over a thousand of them near the Rio Grande. The name "Suma" was first used in 1630. At that time, the Suma were fighting the Opata in Sonora. They were also a threat to Franciscan missions.
In 1659, a mission was built for the Manso and "Zumanas" in what is now downtown Ciudad Juárez. Another mission was built for them near the city of Chihuahua in 1663. Some Suma, Manso, and Jumano sought protection from the Spanish. This was because of increasing raids by the Apache. Other Suma continued their nomadic way of life and joined the Apache.
Life at the Missions
By 1680, the missions at El Paso were serving over 2,000 Native Americans, including Sumas. But the Pueblo Revolt in New Mexico caused 2,000 more Spaniards and their Native American allies to flee to El Paso. This put a huge strain on resources.
A famine happened in 1683-1684. In 1684, the Native Americans revolted and left the missions. Some Sumas returned to the mission later that year. They could not find enough food to survive on their own. However, some Suma, Janos, and Jocomes continued to be hostile to the Spanish. They found safety in the Chiricahua Mountains in Arizona. Over time, they became connected with the Apache and were absorbed by them. A Chiricahua Apache group, the Chokone or Xocone, might have been named after the Jocomes.
During the 1700s, the Suma living at the Mission San Lorenzo near El Paso worked for the priests. They grew crops, worked as laborers, and adopted many Spanish customs. They also revolted often, in 1710, 1726, 1745, and 1749. They would flee the mission and hide in the mountains, often with the Apache. In the 1750s, San Lorenzo Mission had 300 people, with 150 being Sumas. A smallpox outbreak in the 1780s killed most of the Sumas at the mission. They soon lost their separate identity.
The End of the Suma as a Distinct Group
The last known man who identified himself as Suma died in 1869. Today, the descendants of the Suma are part of the Mestizo population. They live in cities like Ciudad Juárez, El Paso, San Buenaventura, Chihuahua, and Nuevo Casas Grandes. These are places where missions were once established for them.
See also
In Spanish: Sumas para niños
