In my country, Joyce, many indigenous artworks have survived throughout the centuries and can be appreciated even in our days in important churches. They are mostly in silver but also in gold and all were made by indigenous artisans under the Spaniards' dominion. And while I am not sure about their religiosity, you may agree with me that they must have been happy both while doing them and with the finished articles. Below are two gold custodies preserved in important churches. I am not sure about the top one, but the bottom custody can be appreciated even now in the Iglesia de la Merced in Cusco.

Below is an interesting gif document showing multiple works by indigenous artisans in times of the Spaniards' dominion in my country.

These are all very beautiful. I think that the artisans are like musicians whose music has to be expressed like the need to breathe.
I can't even imagine having the vision inside to create these masterpieces.

I'm sure there are many of these also in my city as New Orleans was under Spanish domination for many years in those early centuries, which also fits in with the discovery in the Florida waters just down the coast.

I'll bet on that too, Joyce. However there is another, somewhat remote, possibility that a Spanish ship filled with such treasures had tried to make a scale at Florida on its way to Europe and been sunk along its coast. Such trips were regularly made back then twice a year, however dangerous it could prove to be from both bad weather and the pirates (mostly British ones, though they did not call themselves 'pirates' but 'corsaries'), but the riches the ships transported to the old continent from Peru, Mexico and the Virreinato de la Plata (current Argentina), etc. made them worthwhile. In addition, they travelled in caravans comprising many ships.

You know, I once read a statement that says "don't judge yesterdays' actions by today's standards" or close to that and I try to keep that in mind when I'm looking at history.

Even in my own life I try not to second guess things I could have done differently because any tiny little change would have changed everything.
Going to school on a different day for instance and poof-there go my children and grand children-never to be born because I could have met a whole other set of people to hang out with.
So we have the luxury of admiring the treasures left behind without passing judgement on how or why they got there.