David Roberts has for years tried to get Pueblo Indians to open up and discuss the glorious 1680 revolt where after a century of abuse the Spanish were temporary forced out of what is today new Mexico. David Roberts, a prolific author and outdoorsman, has now written five books that involve explorations of the history, ruins, art, and artifacts of Native Americans in the desert and his brilliant coverage of the Pueblo revolt and its aftermath is perhaps his best work.
The book called The Pueblo Revolt " as Roberts traveling and meeting with Pueblo representatives often excountering a closed xenophobic society not wanting to discuss this revolt from centuries ago as basically they were not there. The oral traditions though make it clear that this revolt was fierce and the Pueblos and the Spanish learned their lessons and that it was better to have a mutual better cultural understanding as both groups felt increase pressure from nomadic tribes of Utes, Apaches, and increasingly Comanche warriors. Roberts covers the initial massive coordinated revolt lead by a mysterious Indian named Pope who lead the improbable and surprising successful Indian revolt against a powerful Spanish empire armed with the best weaponery and training of the day. Popes revolt was preceded by Spanish conquistador incursions centuries prior by Coronado and Onate which disrupted the Natives customs and way of life and instilled an arrogance catholic supremacy that the native brothers found appalling but better to adapt and incorporate into their own beliefs while still secretively practicing the faith of the Shamans and their fore fathers. Natives armed with primitive bows arrows, and rocks slayed the Franciscan preiests who were the first and most potent symbol of Spanish repression and ten turned against the small Spanish settlers of the mexincan North 
. The campaigns of reconquest lead by a man named Diego de Varges and often quick and bloodless reconquest is detailed along with his delicate balancing act of pardoning the Pueblo Indians some twelve years after the revolt and bringing Santa fe back into the Spanish empire. Roberts and many other Native American historian are still pondering the success and ability of the Pueblo Indians in succeeding and then quickly succumbing to a return of the Spanish. In his personal quest Roberts travels throughout the old home-ranges of the Pueblo and visiting actual battlefields and is surprised to see cliffs with the actual Pueblo rock ammunition gathered for battle.
It could of been that the natives were so mystified by Spanish technology they figured future resistance was futile especially given the more omnipresent dangers of Apache and Ute warriors who caused more havoc on the sedentary Pueblos thus tolerated the neurotic Franciscan friars and Hispanic settlement near their adobes for centuries to come.
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