Equestrian statue of Juan de Oñate

A statue of Juan de Oñate was installed in Alcalde, New Mexico, United States. The monument was removed in June 2020.[1] It was situated outside the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Center (until 2017 the Oñate Monument and Visitor Center) in Alcalde, New Mexico from 1994 to 2020.

Statue of Juan de Oñate
Part of the installation in 2006
Coordinates36°06′21″N 106°01′55″W

Description and history

The 12-foot (3.7 m) statue was cast in bronze by Reynaldo Rivera. It was erected in 1994.[2] The right foot of the statue was cut off on December 29, 1997, shortly before commemorations for the 400th anniversary, in 1998, of Oñate's arrival in New Mexico.[3][4] A note was left at the scene that said "Fair is fair." The foot was recast, but a seam where the two pieces joined was still visible. Some commentators suggested leaving the statue maimed as a symbolic reminder of the foot-amputating Acoma Massacre. A local filmmaker, Chris Eyre, was contacted by one of the two perpetrators, who said, "I'm back on the scene to show people that Oñate and his supporters must be shamed." The sculptor responded that chopping feet "was the nature of discipline of 400 years ago".[5]

In 2017 the statue's left foot was painted red, and the words "Remember 1680" (year of the Pueblo revolt) were written with paint on the monument's base.[6]

The county of Rio Arriba removed the statue on June 15, 2020.[7]

See also

References
  1. Romero, Simon (2020-06-15). "Man Is Shot at Protest Over Statue of New Mexico's Conquistador". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  2. Cher Krause Knight; Harriet F. Senie (7 June 2016). A Companion to Public Art. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 411–. ISBN 978-1-118-47535-5.
  3. Ginger Thompson. "As a Sculpture Takes Shape in Mexico, Opposition Takes Shape in the U.S.," The New York Times, January 17, 2002. Retrieved 2008-07-15.
  4. Douglas Seefeldt, "Oñate's Foot: Histories, Landscapes, and Contested Memories in the Southwest," in, Douglas Seefeldt; Jeffrey L. Hantman; Peter S. Onuf (2006). Across the Continent: Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, and the Making of America. University of Virginia Press. pp. 169–. ISBN 978-0-8139-2595-0.
  5. Plevin, Nancy (Jan 8, 1998). "Vandals maim bronze sculpture at visitors center near Espanola". Santa Fe New Mexican.
  6. Romero, Simon (30 September 2017). "Statue's Stolen Foot Reflects Divisions Over Symbols of Conquest". New York Times. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  7. Writer, Molly Montgomery SUN Staff. "County Takes Down Oñate Monument". Rio Grande SUN. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
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