Equestrian statue of Juan de Oñate

An equestrian statue of Juan de Oñate formerly stood in Alcalde, New Mexico, in the United States. Installed as part of a project to honor Hispanic culture, the monument was removed in June 2020 amid the George Floyd protests.[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.

Equestrian statue of Juan de Oñate
Part of the installation in 2006
ArtistReynaldo Rivera
Year1994
MediumBronze
SubjectJuan de Oñate
Conditionin storage
Coordinates36°06′21″N 106°01′55″W
OwnerCounty of Rio Arriba

Description and history

The 12-foot (3.7 m) statue, cast in bronze by Reynaldo Rivera, 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. 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] In 2023, The statue was moved to Española, New Mexico.[8] During a rally on September 28, 2023 celebrating the postponement of the installation, a participant was shot.[9] The suspected 23-year-old shooter, who had been trying to access the pedestal, fled by car but was taken into custody.[10]

See also

References
  1. Romero, Simon (June 15, 2020). "Man Is Shot at Protest Over Statue of New Mexico's Conquistador". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  2. Cher Krause Knight; Harriet F. Senie (June 7, 2016). A Companion to Public Art. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 411–. ISBN 978-1-118-47535-5. Archived from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  3. Ginger Thompson. "As a Sculpture Takes Shape in Mexico, Opposition Takes Shape in the U.S.," Archived 2021-09-30 at the Wayback Machine 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," Archived 2020-12-04 at the Wayback Machine 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. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  5. Plevin, Nancy (January 8, 1998). "Vandals maim bronze sculpture at visitors center near Espanola". Santa Fe New Mexican.
  6. Romero, Simon (September 30, 2017). "Statue's Stolen Foot Reflects Divisions Over Symbols of Conquest". New York Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2017.
  7. Montgomery, Molly (June 15, 2020). "County Takes Down Oñate Monument". Rio Grande SUN. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  8. Gilmore, Nicholas (September 20, 2023). "Controversial Oñate statue headed to new home in Española". Santa Fe New Mexican. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  9. Candelaria, Esteban (September 28, 2023). "Man shot during Juan de Oñate statue rally in Española". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  10. Lee, Morgan (September 28, 2023). "A man is shot and wounded as tempers flare in New Mexico over the statue of a Spanish conquistador". AP News. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
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