In 1832 the Mexican government made a large community land grant to Manuel Martinez and other settlers, but settlement was delayed by raids by Utes, Jicarilla Apaches, and Navajos. Tierra Amarilla, first called Nutritas, became the Rio Arriba County seat in 1880. In 1967 it was the focus of conflicts between National Guardsmen and land rights activist Reies Lopez Tijerina.