Onate would soon have bigger problems than abandonment to deal with. This time Onate's problems would hit closer to home. On December fourth after the Spaniards asked the Acoma Indians to "subscribe to the Act of obedience and Homage," the Acoma Indians attacked the Spaniards. In this attack 13 Spaniards were killed. The most devastating to Juan de Onate was the death of his nephew, Juan de Zaldivar. After being given an unfair and biased trial Onate, once again showing the villain from within, issued brutal sentences to the 500 captured Acoma Indians. All of the Indians 12 and older were sentenced to be slaves for 20 years, and males 25 and older had one of their feet cut off. Conditions continued to worsen for the settlers in New Mexico. The situation was so bad that "by early 1601 life in New Mexico had been reduced to a simple formula - fending of hunger and cold." This was more bad news for Onate. Due to the bad conditions of the settlements and Onate's mistreatment of the Indians and of his own people, the Viceroy of New Spain received continuous complaints against Onate. Finally in 1607 Onate gave up his search for the 3 G's and turned in his resignation, and by 1609 the Viceroy of New Spain appointed a new royal governor. Onate's problems did not stop at his resignation. In 1614 Juan de Onate was called to trial and faced many charges of misconduct. One of the many charges was his misuse of the Encomienda system. In 1601, "the Governor (Onate) had levied a tribute of 2000 cotton blankets, each one and a half yards square, and 500 deer skins, upon the Indians." Onate was found guilty on 12 charges, and was exiled from New Mexico for life and from New Spain for 4 years. In 1624 Onate appealed and cleared his name, but died in 1625.At one time the king of Spain believed that Juan de Onate would bring his kingdom both glory and great wealth. However, he turned out doing the exact opposite. He found no great wealt...
