A plan to reconcile Onate statue and public sentiment - Albuquerque Journal

The Journal noted recently that a year has passed since the Juan de Oñate statue was removed from outside the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History due to public controversy over his tenure as conquistador of New Mexico beginning in 1598. I assume the City Council will hold in-person public discussions about the location of the statue in the future.

One of my proposals is to relocate the statue to the National Hispanic Cultural Center, a state museum that is also an appropriate setting. This would require negotiation between the city and the state. Hopefully, the NHCC would accept the statue and display it at least on occasion.

I’ve studied the life of Oñate, published a paper about him, and since 2013 have given many presentations. I tell his story through three commemorative Oñate statues: in Albuquerque and Alcalde by Reynaldo “Sonny” Rivera and in El Paso by John Houser.

After the removal, I participated in the city of Albuquerque Race, Healing and History Project, discussions by small groups about the Oñate statue, which is part of a monumental sculpture by Sonny Rivera and Betty Sabo called La Jornada about the arrival of the Spanish in New Mexico. The sculpture includes bronze figures of clergy, soldiers, families, wagons and animals, and a wall with the names of the hundreds of people who traveled with Oñate. La Jornada is still at the museum. Next to La Jornada and created at the same time is a Native American earthwork by Nora Naranjo-Morse called Numbe Whageh.

Some members of my groups were hostile to Oñate because of atrocities committed at Acoma Pueblo by Oñate’s soldiers, accounts of which can be found online. Also, the monument doesn’t tell visitors about the mistreatment at Acoma. Some members wanted to destroy the statue.

I sympathize with this view but am not a proponent of “cancel culture.” My proposals are based on desires to retain the history the Oñate statue and La Jornada represent, recognize that many members of our community identify with Spanish heritage, and preserve the bronze works of art by Rivera and Sabo, both distinguished artists.

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In summary, I recommend: 1) the Oñate statue in Albuquerque be given to the NHCC; 2) the Oñate statue in Alcalde be given to the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe; 3) the remainder of La Jornada and the Numbe Whageh earthwork be retained at the Albuquerque Museum; 4) a full version of the doings of Oñate in New Mexico be developed by historians to serve as the basis for plaques near the statues and paper narratives for distribution at all three museums; and 5) some version of a truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) be formed to review the history of Oñate in New Mexico, for the sake of greater public understanding.

Public hearings by TRCs have been held in many countries to address past injustices in hopes of moving beyond a painful history. Perhaps this process would benefit our community.

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https://www.abqjournal.com/2404812/a-plan-to-reconcile-ontildeate-statue-and-public-sentiment.html

2021-06-30 06:02:00Z
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