Abiquiú

In 1764, Fray Juan José Toledo, the priest of the mission church in Abiquiú, New Mexico, wrote a striking letter to the local magistrate. In it, he described an extraordinary spiritual crisis: a surge of demonic possessions affecting the women in his congregation. Viewed through the lenses of gender, colonialism, and religious conflict, this event emerges as a powerful moment of Indigenous resistance, expressed through bodies and language. This episode tells a story of ritual and rebellion: the story of the witches of Abiquiú.

Researched, written, and produced by Corinne Wieben with original music by Purple Planet.

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Music

Purple Planet - Tormented

Purple Planet - Red Mist

Purple Planet - Last Stand

Purple Planet - Ossuary

Purple Planet - Sense of Loss

Purple Planet - Shadowlands

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Sources

Primary

“Possession at Abiquiu, New Mexico, 1763–1764.” In Witchcraft in Early North America, edited by Alison Games, 166-175. Blue Ridge Summit: The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, 2010.

Secondary

Ebright, Malcolm, Rick Hendricks, and Glen Strock. The Witches of Abiquiu: The Governor, the Priest, the Genízaro Indians, and the Devil. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2006.