In the mid-16th Century, Juan de Tolosa encountered the Zacatecanos, native indians carrying silver artifacts. He extracted from them the location of the vein of silver from which they had obtained the precious metal. In short order, Zacatecas was founded, the indians were enslaved and put to work in the mines, and the city became the largest producer of Spain's New World wealth.

Oh, and the life expectancy of the indians was halved.

Today, a statue honors those long-dead miners. I guess it's nice that they are remembered this way, but I wonder how their descendants feel about it.

Other miners are remembered here, as well. Here we have the Emilia Cafe in downtown Zacatecas.

It's located at the intersection of a major artery and a pedestrian walkway: Callejon del Indio Triste—Sad Indian Alley.

I'm told that the sad indian commemorated in Zacatecas refers to a 16th-century man who was enslaved and put to work in the silver mines. Legend has it that he began to cry, and continued to cry for days and weeks, until a priest, touched by the man's sadness, obtained his release from enslavement. The tragedy was too much for the sad indian, who continued to cry for years until his early death.

Today, a statue of him sits atop the building housing the Emilia Cafe. Some, but not many visitors understand its significance.

I've seen many streets in other cities named Indio Triste. We have one in San MIguel de Allende. But I think they commemorate a different sad indian. This man, a member of a noble indian family living in Mexico City, put himself into the service of the Spanish conquerors, betraying his people. Over time his life fell into ruin and as he contemplated the crimes he had perpetrated against his neighbors, he became depressed, and spent the remainder of his life crouched in the street, downcast in sadness.

Both stories are legendary. I found no authoritative references to either, although both seem to have considerable currency. But one thing is for certain: the original New World inhabitants, and their descendants today, have a lot to be sad about.