Statue of Oñate being removed ‘temporarily’ – By T. S. Last (Albuequerque Journal) / June 15 2020
SANTA FE, N.M. — A statue of Spanish conquistador Don Juan de Oñate that stands outside a building that now houses offices of the Rio Grande National Heritage Area in Alcalde is being taken down “temporarily,” according to Rio Arriba County officials.
The building used to be called the Oñate Monument Center until the name was changed three years ago.
The decision to remove the statue comes as the city of Albuquerque is considering taking down a multi-figure sculpture titled “La Jornada” that includes Oñate and stands in front of the Albuquerque Museum. The museum’s board of trustees asked Mayor Tim Keller to remove the sculpture by Reynaldo “Sonny” Rivera and Betty Sabo.
Rivera is also the sculptor of the Oñate statue in Alcalde.
Oñate is a controversial figure in New Mexico history. While he is seen as a heroic figure by some for leading the colonization of New Mexico in 1598, he is viewed by some Native Americans as a killer who repressed and enslaved their ancestors. Following an uprising at Acoma Pueblo, he sentenced hundreds of their people to 20 years of “personal servitude” and purportedly ordered all men over the age of 25 to have a foot cut off.
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