Protohistoric Confusion: A Cultural Comparison of the Manso, Suma, and Jumano Indians of the Paso del Norte Region

When the earliest Spanish explorers arrived in the Paso del Norte area, they found it already inhabited by native populations. These groups, the Mansos and Sumas (along with the Jumanos and Apaches), have provided a rich ground for debate as to their origins and relationships with each other. Few early contacts were reported by the Spaniards, and little ethnographic and/or linguistic information was recorded, leaving researchers a scant account from which to draw in explaining the background and origin of these groups. For the same reasons, relationships with surrounding native groups, such as the Janos and Jocomes are difficult to ascertain. Historically, vision becomes more clouded with the introduction of the Tiguas and Piros into the area after the Great Pueblo Revolt of 1680.