But, maybe he didn't cut off their feet?

What a strange statement, you're no doubt thinking. Yes, it is, because it captures a justification that I've seen far too often while teaching New Mexico History. 

There is some discussion among academics about whether or not Juan de Oñate actually carried out the mutilations of the Acoma men following the battle of conquest of 1599. 

But, there is no doubt whatsoever that Acoma people--men, women, and children--were subjected to various forms of forced labor and slavery. 

How does the fact that Oñate enslaved the Acoma people for resisting the Spanish conquest somehow absolve him of committing crimes against humanity?