José Naranjo

José Naranjo ( – 14 August 1720) was a Puebloan of partial African ancestry who served the Spanish government of New Mexico. His father may have helped lead the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 and Naranjo initially opposed co-operation with the Spanish, successfully escaping from Spanish custody.

After 7 October 1692, Naranjo appears to have come to terms with the Spanish, working for the governor of New Mexico Diego de Vargas. Shortly afterwards Naranjo killed his brother Lucas, who was leading an Indian rebellion, and sent his head to Vargas. Naranjo was appointed an alcalde and leader of Indian auxiliary troops, serving on expeditions against the Apache and the Pueblo who had fled to El Cuartelejo. In 1720 he was appointed chief scout and leader of auxiliary troops on the Villasur expedition, despite having opposed it. He was killed on 14 August 1720 when the expedition was attacked by Pawnee and Otoe forces.

Early life Naranjo was a Pueblo Indian born circa 1662 to Domingo Naranjo (whom Angelico Chavez believed instigated the Pueblo Revolt of 1680). The grandson of a black freedman and an Indian woman, he was nicknamed el Mulato or el negro. Chavez believed Naranjo's mother to have been a mestizo from Analco as José was lighter skinned than his father. Shortly after the revolt José was captured by men working for the Spanish governor Antonio de Otermin but refused to betray his tribe and Otermin ordered him brought to Guadalupe del Paso. José escaped on 8 January and found refuge with the Northern Pueblo Indians – perhaps joining his father at Taos. Naranjo had advised the governor of New Mexico, Antonio Valverde y Cosío, not to send the expedition but had been overruled.