The Upper Rio GrandeChange is an inevitable part of life. For some, change can bring promise and a new beginning. For others, change disrupts what is routine and normal and makes what is new seem strange and unfamiliar. The history of North America has been marked by change since Columbus first discovered the continent in 1492. With that discovery, the continent would never be the same. More specifically, the Native American tribes that first inhabited this continent would never be the same again. Over the years the Native Americans would see new explorers and missionaries take over the land that was once theirs and claim it for another country. The traditions, customs and culture of these Native Americans have inevitably changed due to the foreign presence. One tribe in particular, the Pueblo Indians of the upper Rio Grande River, survived this change and still thrives in what is now New Mexico. In fact, the Pueblo culture is recognized as one of the oldest in North America. It is no surprise that the Pueblo culture survived by learning how to deal effectively with change, even when that change was forced upon them. When European settlers arrived in the area of ​​the upper Rio Grande River, they disturbed the sacredness of the way of the Pueblo Indians. of life. As a result of this change forced upon the Indians, the area they inhabited became one of the most conflicted regions during the settlement of the New World. This article will take a closer look at the origins of this conflict as it relates to the different lifestyles and cultures of the Spanish settlers and the Pueblo Indians. The Spanish colonists' attitudes in reclaiming already occupied lands will be discussed, including their use of super...... middle of paper ......: A Pageant of Three Peoples. New York. 1951.4.Grinde, D.; Johansen, B. The Encyclopedia of Native American Biography.Henry Holt Publishers. 1997.5.Hammond, George P. Don Juan de Onate and the Founding of New Mexico. El Palacio Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico. 19276.Horgan, Paul. Great River: The Rio Grande in North American History, Vol. 1: Indians and Spain. Rinehart and Company, Inc. New York.7.Ortiz, A. The Pueblo. Chelsea House Publishers: New York. 1994.8.Riley, C. Rio Del Norte. University of Utah Press: Salt Lake City. 1994.9.Silverburg, R. The Pueblo Revolt. University of Nebraska Press: Lincoln. 1970.10.Tyler, H. Pueblo Gods and Myths. University of Oklahoma Press: Norman. 11.1964.White, Richard. “It was your bad luck and none of mine” A new history of the American West. University of Oklahoma Press. Norman and London, 1991