The name of two pueblos of the ancient Tigua tribe, of remote
Shoshoncan stock. The older and principal is on the west bank of
the Rio Grande about twelve miles below Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The other, an offshoot from the first and sometimes
distinguished as Isleta del Sur (Isleta of the South), is on the
Texas side of the Rio Grande, a few miles below El Paso. The
original Isleta (i.e. islet) was so named by the Spaniards from
its position on a tongue of land projecting into the stream; the
native name, Shiewhibak , seems to refer to a knife used in
connection with a certain ceremonial foot race. It was first
entered by the Spanish commander, Coronado in 1540, and again in
1582-3 by Espejo while trying to ascertain the fate of Father
Rodriguez and two other Franciscan missionaries who had been
murdered by Indians in the vicinity a year earlier. Before 1629
it had become the seat of the Franciscan mission of San Antonio.
At a later period it received many refugees from outlying
pueblos abandoned in conseque