Situational Identities along the Raiding Frontier of Colonial New Mexico

Situational Identities along the Raiding Frontier of Colonial New Mexico examines pluralistic communities that navigated between colonial and indigenous practices to negotiate strategic alliances with both sides of generations-old conflicts. The rich history of the southwestern community of Casitas Viejas straddles multiple cultures and identities and is representative of multiple settlements in the region of northern New Mexico that served as a “buffer,” protecting the larger towns of New Spain from Apache, Navajo, Ute, and Comanche raiders. These genízaro settlements of Indo-Hispano settlers used shrewd cross-cultural skills to survive. Researching the dynamics of these communities has long been difficult, due in large part to the lack of material records. In this innovative case study, Jun U. Sunseri examines persistent cultural practices among families who lived at Casitas Viejas and explores the complex identities of the region’s communities. Applying theoretical and methodological approaches, Sunseri adds oral histories, performative traditions of contemporary inhabitants, culinary practices, and local culture to traditional archaeology to shed light on the historical identities of these communities that bridged two worlds.  

"[Sunseri's] work is personal, innovative, and effective in its use of disparate sources, from scientific analysis to oral history, and provides the reader with a well reasoned and supported argument for cultural fluidity and continuation on the New Mexico colonial borderlands."—Peg Kearney, Journal of Arizona History, "Situational Identities along the Raiding Frontier of Colonial New Mexico offers a strong foundation on which to build future place-based historical archaeologies in the Southwest, deeply informed by those who have thought with the land for generations."—Valerie Bondura, Society for Historical Archaeology, "The ethnic pluralism that emerges from Sunseri's text and artifacts will resonate beyond scholarly circles, offering critical insight into contemporary issues around what it means to be 'New Mexican.'"—Dana Velasco Murillo, Western Historical Quarterly, "Situational Identities has much to offer those interested in the regional history of New Mexico, the broader history of Spanish frontier spaces, and the important work of blending methodologies across the humanities and social science disciplines."—Sean F. McEnroe, Hispanic American Historical Review, “This case makes a significant contribution to the interdisciplinary study of the Spanish borderlands, especially in New Mexico, and will set the bar for archaeological and anthropological research into genízaro communities like Casitas.”—Bonnie J. Clark, associate professor of anthropology at the University of Denver and author of On the Edge of Purgatory: An Archaeology of Place in Hispanic Colorado  

Jun U. Sunseri is an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley.