Don Juan de Oñate Statues – Albuquerque and Alcalde, New Mexico

 

Removal Framework. Explore definitions here.

Preface 

The purpose of this case study is to give historical context and detail the full scope of the issues that led to the removal of two statues honoring the Spanish Conquistador Don Juan de Oñate in New Mexico. This case study aims to contribute to conversations regarding monuments and their significance in the landscape. Juan de Oñate remains a controversial figure in New Mexico for his role as the architect of the Acoma Massacre of 1599. Following the death of 13 Spaniards in an ambush, Oñate ordered a brutal retaliation where some 1000 Acoma were killed. The Acoma survivors were sentenced to 20 years of slavery and one foot was amputated from all able men over the age of 25. Oñate was removed from power in 1608, and was convicted for his mistreatment of the Native Acoma in 1614. 

Introduction 

New Mexico is known as the “Land of Enchantment.” This name is owed to the area’s rich array of people, architecture, history, scenery, and food. Several Indigenous American tribes call New Mexico their home, including the Taos Pueblo, whose people have lived continuously for more than a thousand years in the north-central part of the state. 

In the 16th century, Spanish colonists in Mexico named the region to the north and west of the Rio Grande River “New Mexico.” Centuries later, New Mexico was admitted into the union as the 48th state on January 6th, 1912. The state contains a number of prominent cities and beautiful parks, such as Santa Fe and White Sands National Park. 

The Spanish colonial influence on the development of the region is seen in the number of statues to Don Juan de Oñate found throughout New Mexico. Two notable examples stood in front of the Albuquerque Museum in Albuquerque, and at the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Center (formally called the Oñate Monument Center) in Alcalde.

The Albuquerque Museum’s Sculpture Garden, once home to a Don Juan de Oñate statue, no longer features the conquistador at the center of the La Jornada (Spanish: The Journey) sculpture. 

 

All that remains at the former site of the Equestrian Statue of Don Juan de Oñate or El Adelantado (Spanish: The Advanced Man) is his concrete pedestal and plaque. The Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Center in Alcalde has been abandoned for some time.

Section 1: Background  

1.1. Historical Context 

Don Juan de Oñate y Salazar (1550–1626) was a Spanish conquistador, caudillo (Spanish: military leader) and governor of the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México in the viceroyalty of New Spain (i.e. Mexico, Central America, Isthmus of Panama, US Southwest,  Florida and the Caribbean). By the late 16th century, the Spanish Empire under the Habsburg dynasty was a superpower that governed with four viceroyalties and overseas mainland territory spanning from Mexico to Argentina. The empire encompassed nearly 20 million square kilometers and a population of 60 million inhabitants. 

As a means to ward off other competing colonial powers, the Imperium Hispānicum set out to colonize what is now the Southwest region of the United States (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah). Comandante Oñate led early Spanish expeditions to the Lower Colorado River Valley and the Great Plains, where he encountered a variety of Native tribes. He is most remembered for the Acoma Massacre of 1599.

A squad of Oñate’s troops halted to trade for cornmeal and blankets with the Acoma Pueblo in the autumn of 1598. Tensions rose when the Acoma people were not interested in trading because they had to retain their supplies to endure the winter. 

Thirteen Spanish soldiers—including Oñate’s nephew, Juan de Zaldívar—were slain during the dispute. Juan de Oñate condemned the attack against his men and declared it an insurrection. He gave the order to annihilate Acoma Pueblo. Vicente de Zaldívar, brother of the deceased Juan de Zaldívar, carried out Oñate’s command to destroy the pueblo. 

Approximately 500 Acoma men and 300 women and children were killed. Only 500 people survived. Oñate sentenced all male and female survivors between the age of 12 and 25 to twenty years of servitude, and ordered the amputation of one foot of 24 Acoma warriors (men twenty-five years of age) at a trial at Ohkay Owingeh. He cites this in his personal journal as cutting off  “las puntas del pie” (Spanish: points of the foot). 

After hearing about the Acoma Massacre, King Felipe III of Spain (1578 – 1621) had Oñate tried on 30 counts of mismanagement and excessive cruelty. He was found guilty of cruelty, immorality and false reporting. After his conviction, he was expelled from New Mexico and forced to live in exile in Mexico for five years. Oñate later returned to Spain for the remainder of his life.

1.2. Creation of the Statues

The statues of Don Juan de Oñate in Albuquerque and Alcalde were both public artworks in public spaces that served as tributes to the conquistador. 

The central statue of Don Juan de Oñate in La Jornada was located in front of the Albuquerque Museum on the intersection of Mountain Road NW and 19th Street in Old Town Albuquerque. In 1998, The City of Albuquerque commissioned Reynaldo “Sonny” Rivera to create a statue of Oñate as part of the La Jornada ensemble for $105,000 USD. The La Jornada sculpture was a part of the larger Cuarto Centenario Project to commemorate the 400-year anniversary since the 1598 arrival of Spanish settlers and their families to the area. It was officially installed in 2005. The robust artwork depicts Juan de Oñate leading an expedition of Spanish settlers (the other 33 statues of the ensemble). The ensemble also features an Indigenous guide, 2 Spanish soldiers, 5 cattle, 2 horses, 2 oxen, a carreta (Spanish: ox-drawn cart), 3 women, 2  children, 5 cowmen, 2 sheepherders, 3 Churro sheep, a goat, a donkey, a pig, a baby and a cura (Spanish: priest). The privation endured from the journey is shown in the facial expressions of the statues. 

The Equestrian Statue of Don Juan de Oñate was located in front of the Northern Rio Grande National Center directly off State Road 68 in Alcalde. It was also created by Reynaldo “Sonny” Rivera. The 12-foot statue was cast in bronze by Rivera and erected in 1994. The equestrian statue was part of Senator Naranjo’s grander project to honor Hispanic history and culture. Senator Naranjo raised $2.4 million dollars in public funds for the project. He promised that the world-class Northern Rio Grande National Center would bolster tourism and the economy in the area with a corresponding visitor center, museum and a magnificent statue of Oñate. The project was considered an abject failure and was shut down just a few years after Senator Naranjo was ousted in April of 1994 (Barker 2016). 

The problematic nature of Oñate and his statues are not mentioned anywhere (no tours or reinterpreted plaques were held or placed on these statues at the time of the site visits). There are numerous folk, especially in New Mexico’s Indigenous communities, who have spoken out against statues of Oñate and his legacy. Ms. Nora Naranjo Morse, Santa Clara Pueblo member and Native American poet, commented on the issues surrounding Don Juan de Oñate. She stated that during the removal of the statues of Oñate,  

There were Hispanic people who came to stand in allegiance to Don Juan de Oñate. When he passed down on the machine, the hispanic men were wearing their colonizer hats and were emotional to have it be removed. They felt like they lost something and needed someone to look up to. They were not thinking about what it meant to Native Americans. There were two sides, the Natives honking and the other Hispanics standing on behalf of the Oñate statues. Someone was shot at the Albuquerque statue. He is still there—his presence. That is what needs to be addressed (Correa 2022). 

Much of the controversy surrounding the statues of Don Juan de Oñate center around his legacy. The controversy was further exacerbated in Albuquerque when a protester, Scott Williams (39 years-old), was shot by a counter-protester, Steven Ray Baca (31 years-old), during a  demonstration on the 15th of June 2020. This violent event, as well as previous pageantries that reenacted the Spaniards arrival, shed light on the faulty recounting of local histories (Burnett 2020). 

The events of 2020 provided an impetus for the re-evaluation of the portrayal of monuments, especially in New Mexico. These statues omit the historical traumas, testimonies and voices of the Acoma, Tewa and other Native tribes. Since the completion and installation of the statues, there were only two major incidents involving the statues prior to 2020. The right foot of the equestrian statue was amputated on 29th of December 1997, just before celebrations for the 400th anniversary of  Oñate’s arrival in New Mexico in 1998. A note left at the site read, “Fair is fair.” Although the foot was remade, the seam where the two pieces came together could still be seen. Some commenters advised leaving the monument without a foot as a symbolic reminder of the Acoma Massacre. One of the two offenders got in contact with local filmmaker Chris Eyre and stated, “I’m back on the scene to show people that Oñate and his supporters must be disgraced.” The left foot of the statue was painted red in 2017, and the words “Remember 1680” (the year of the Pueblo revolution) were put on the base of the statue (Romero 2017). 

On September 28, 2023, the Equestrian Statue of Don Juan de Oñate was set to be re-installed outside the Rio Arriba County Complex (Rio Grande Sun Staff 2023). This action is the result of a decision made by Rio Arriba County Commissioners without consultation with local stakeholders. Activists held a news conference in opposition to the statue’s reinstallment in front of the complex on September 25, 2023 (Fisher 2023). The re-dedication was postponed, but not without violence. A 23 year old man supporter of the statue shot an individual in the group celebrating the postponement at the statue’s proposed location (Lee 2023). This reinstallment attempt had dangerous consequences for Rio Arriba County citizens. Three years later, the debate over the Equestrian Statue of Don Juan de Oñate rages on. 

Section 2: Don Juan de Oñate

2.1. Oñate the Colonizer 

There are numerous individuals who have spoken out against Oñate, his statues and his legacy including scholars like Dr. Vanessa Fonseca-Chávez, Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Associate Professor of English at Arizona State University. When commenting on the statues of Oñate, she stated:  

They are largely controversial because of the way that Indigenous peoples’ rights were violated. There is an Indigenous knowledge system that thinks differently than the colonizer system. I write a lot of this extensively. There are a lot of individuals tethered to this history. There are these different levels of erasures which do not allow all of them to see their viewpoints. This is where we see a lot of lack of compromise. The other part of it that I argue is that there is an idea by way of European ancestry that gives way to American colonialism. There is a certain level of whiteness that makes compromise difficult (Correa 2022). 

Much of the controversy surrounding the statues of Oñate center around his position in the colonial system and its effects. Differing viewpoints keep reconciliation and understanding from occurring. The criticism and controversy surrounding Oñate is further exacerbated by the omission of Native New Mexican historical traumas in the statue’s interpretative information. Professor Moises Gonzáles, Associate Professor of Urban Design in the Community and Regional Planning Program at the University of  New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning, asserts that controversy around figures of Spanish colonialism such as Juan de Oñate occurs  

Because… of the atrocities associated with them and mistreatment of the Acoma, Tewa, Taos and other groups. Many of which left for Hopi lands. It  also polarizes the individuals associated with their fabrication. A lot of us,  myself included, are a product of this colonization project (Correa, 2022). 

Dr. Fonseca-Chávez, Professor Gonzáles and many others maintain that more transparency and unity is needed to sort out the controversies surrounding the statues of Don Juan de Oñate.

2.2. Oñate the Hero 

Many of Oñate’s supporters argue that much of the controversy centering around the conquistador comes from the general lack of knowledge of the statues’ intended meaning. Mr. Reynaldo “Sonny” Rivera, Sculptor and Artist based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, mentions that: 

Oñate was a leader who is held in high regard by a lot of people like Senator Naranjo. To him, the Adelantado represented all the characteristics of leadership like courage, bravery and honor. He is credited with bringing the  faith along with the first Spanish families to New Mexico. Oñate—well at first— was admired by his people. He led them up the Camino Real into new territories and harsh climates. This task cannot be understated and is by no means easy to do especially when not just your group, but your nation, count on you to do it— and do it well. I think as a leader you need to be firm and strong because of what’s at stake. Those families’ names are written in the plaques at La Jornada. Their faces show all of it [hardships of the arduous journey] (Correa 2022).  

When considered from the Spanish perspective, the image of Oñate is one of a competent leader who paved the way for new beginnings. His leadership resulted in the origin of the Tres Culturas (Spanish: Three Cultures). The Tres Culturas is in reference to the three groups that occupied/occupy the area: Native American, Spanish and Anglo. Dr. Shelle VanEtten de Sánchez, Director of the Arts and Culture Department for the City of Albuquerque, comments on the Tres Culturas: “The settlement of the Spaniards is very important to many folk here, especially their identity” (Correa 2022).  

The Tres Culturas and Oñate’s bravery are lauded and praised in New Mexico. Many individuals value and celebrate their Spanish heritage. According to them, Oñate should be remembered for these positive aspects of his legacy. 

Section 3: Site Selection 

The placement of the statues in front of both the Albuquerque Museum and the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Center add to the interpretation of the public space. The statue of Oñate at La Jornada in front of the Albuquerque Museum was deemed appropriate by the Albuquerque City Council in preparation for its quarter centennial celebration. 

The statue of Oñate at the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Center was determined by former County Manager, Senator Emilio Naranjo, who raised $2.4 million taxpayer dollars to honor the caudillo in a grandiose way. 

Both locations are publicly accessible with high visibility. The prominent display reminds visitors of the significance of Oñate’s leadership and, by extension, the magnificence of the Spanish Empire. Based on the accompanying plaques, the interpretation of each statue highlights Oñate as a pioneer and the founder of the area that would later become New Mexico. His figure is attributed to the “beginning” of New Mexican history. This claim has been heavily criticized for its inaccuracy as there were, and continue to be, many Native tribes living in the area. 

These public artworks shed light on power dynamics and the Eurocentric construction of history. The two statues of Oñate recount and laud a narrow history of a certain group while missing the complexities and alternative narratives of the colonial period that would make memory and perspective more complete. 

Section 4: Framework – Removal  

4.1. Albuquerque and Alcalde, New Mexico – Removal 

The statue of Don Juan de Oñate in Albuquerque was removed on June 16th, 2020, during the height of the George Floyd Protests. The Monuments Toolkit team defines removal as: “The act or process of extracting the monument from its original location. The monument exists in its original form, however, it is not accessible to the general public (i.e. off storage, non-public archives).”  

The removal of the statue of Don Juan de Oñate was deemed the most appropriate course of action by the City Council of Albuquerque in order to prevent the statue from being targeted by protestors. The local tribal community has always been aware that the monuments of Oñate were offensive and problematic. The events of 2020 provided enough public pressure to induce action on the part of Albuquerque city officials. 

The Equestrian Statue of Don Juan de Oñate in Alcalde was also removed during the protests against the statue on June 15th, 2020. Removal was deemed appropriate by bureaucrats of Rio Arriba County with the intent to preserve the artwork given the protests and the problematic nature of the statue. Pro- and anti-Oñate crowds gathered at the site to witness its removal. 

The City of Albuquerque and Rio Arriba County are responsible for the maintenance of the Oñate statues. With respect to any specialized treatment like conservation or restoration of the statues, the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 applies extensively. The law stipulates that artists have the right to:

(A)to prevent any intentional distortion, mutilation, or other modification of that work  which would be prejudicial to his or her honor or reputation, and any intentional  distortion, mutilation, or modification of that work is a violation of that right, and (B) to  prevent any destruction of a work of recognized stature, and any intentional or grossly  negligent destruction of that work is a violation of that right (Cornell University 1990). 

Sculptor Reynaldo “Sonny” Rivera is still alive and well and these parameters were considered. The artist claims that he was approached by city officials and signed a document to allow for the removal of the statues for their preservation (Correa 2022). 

As mentioned, Rio Arriba County Commissioners attempted to re-install the Equestrian Statue of Don Juan de Oñate outside a county building in September 2023. Violence ensued, and the re-dedication was postponed indefinitely. 

The statue of Don Juan de Oñate in Albuquerque remains in storage as of November 2024. A 2020 resolution directed the City’s Department of Arts and Culture to collect community input and present it to the City Council, who is ultimately responsible for determining the future of the monument. After hearing the community input report in December 2020, the council chose to postpone the decision. The question of the statue’s future has not yet returned to the council’s agenda (Gomez and Marcinger 2024). 

4.2. Approach: Conferences 

Dr. Fonesca-Chávez has worked with colleagues to host conferences regarding Don Juan de Oñate’s legacy. On November 18, 2020, the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) at the University of Michigan hosted a conference titled Monumental Injustice in the Americas. Dr. Fonesca-Chávez shares her approach to the controversy surrounding Oñate’s legacy: 

I approach it more from a cultural or literary standpoint by providing a  conversation about it. A colleague and I put up a bibliography about Oñate. I  take a look at those documents and see the inconsistencies of those arguments and find ways to look at them before. We worked with the Arizona Historical Society in 2018 where we gathered in conversations with all types of people where I connected it to the Southwest. We come together in conversations, look for similarities (Correa 2022).  

The conference, sponsored by the Latina/o Studies Program and the Center for Latin  American and Caribbean Studies, brought together academics whose research investigates previous and current campaigns to destroy physical memorials to historic individuals throughout the Americas. The conference drew attention to the region’s intertwined history of racism, colonialism, conquest and enslavement, which are at the core of efforts to honor particular individuals and stories as well as efforts to overthrow these institutions of remembrance and the narratives they uphold. Public debates about contentious emblems of injustice are themselves occasions to rewrite historical narratives. 

4.3. Possible Approaches Identified by Stakeholders 

The possible approaches discussed below have been identified by various stakeholders. 

4.3.a. Partnerships 

One approach could be the formation of intergovernmental partnerships between the municipal and tribal governments. Mr. Robert Martínez, State Historian of the New Mexico State Records Center and Archives (SRCA) of Santa Fe, New Mexico, has stated that he believes one solution to managing these conflicts is “a board or commission made up of various members of the community to decide on public art that feeds everyone’s soul and helps everyone to feel they belong to the greater New Mexican community” (Correa 2022). 

4.3.b. Specialized Government Bureaucracies 

Another approach, related to creating partnerships, could be the creation of a specialized government bureaucracy that dedicates itself solely to this type of work. Ms. Valerie Martínez and Ms. Jenice Gharib, Directors of the CHART Project Sante Fe, stated: 

My recommendation is to create a new department in the municipal government that caters to community engagement and social movement awareness. It has to be neutral, and a new mayor will support it if it does not work against them. The department has to be perceived as neutral. Pilot it for 10 years and see the results (Correa 2022).

This option is nuanced and innovative as it would also bring together the private and public sectors. 

4.3.c. Reinterpretation 

A final approach could be reinterpretation of the statues that opens up possibilities for engagement between municipal governments, tribes and academics. Dr. Vanessa Fonseca-Chávez asserts that these issues can be managed by: 

Approaching this through non-Western views, and helping understand that this has been a non-western world longer than a western world. History will show us that these are not resolvable. Radical decolonization is the solution! (Correa 2022). 

Recounting stories in a manner that is inclusive of Native narratives would allow for a comprehensive interpretation of histories and monuments. Reinterpretation would provide the opportunity to elevate Native American voices, such as those of the Acoma or Ohkay Owingeh Pueblos, who seek to share their opinions and shed insight on the ongoing consequences of colonialism. 

The United Nations General Assembly’s Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples adopted on December 14th, 1960, observes “that the peoples of the world desire an end to colonization and all its manifestations” (A/RES/1514[XV]). In addition to recognizing the damaging effects of colonialism, the declaration also affirmed each nation’s claim to sovereignty. This right cannot be denied based on a country’s political system because doing so effectively favors and legitimizes one form of government over another. Decolonization values all citizens, cultures and governments equally.

Section 5: Conclusion 

This case study aims to highlight the issues and context that led to the removal of the statues of Don Juan de Oñate formerly located in Alcalde and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Both statues were removed in June 2020 with the intention of protecting the artwork from damage at the hands of protestors. The controversy surrounding the figure of Don Juan de Oñate continues to lead to intense debate and, occasionally, violence. 

Academics, such as Dr. Fonesca-Chávez, have created spaces in which they engage with questions surrounding efforts to destroy monuments to controversial historical figures in the Americas. By creating resources such as bibliographies, webinars, and conferences, this section of the academic community is informing the debate over monuments honoring figures such as Don Juan de Oñate. Establishing committees and working groups as well as identifying stakeholders and building partnerships have also been identified as possible productive ways forward, though they have not been implemented at the time of writing. These proposed alternatives seem to suggest that electing for removal without addressing the root cause of the controversy will not be a sufficient solution.   

References

Barker, Larry. 2016. “State’s $2M visitor center Oñate’s final folly.” KRQE News. February 8, 2026. https://www.krqe.com/news/states-2m-visitor-center-Oñates-final-folly.  

Burnett, John. 2020. “Statues Of Conquistador Juan De Oñate Come Down As New Mexico  Wrestles With History.” National Public Radio Organization. July 13, 2020. https://www.npr.org/2020/07/13/890122729/statues-of-conquistador-juan-de-o-ate come-down-as-new-mexico-wrestles-with-hist.   

Cornell University. 1990. “Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990, 17 U.S. Code § 106A.” Cornell  University. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/106A. 

Correa, Gilbert. 2022. “Interview with Dr. Vanessa Fonesca-Chávez.” Monuments Toolkit  Project, World Heritage USA/U.S. National Committee of the International Council on  Monuments and Sites. June 24, 2022. 

Correa, Gilbert. 2022. “Interview with Moises Gonzáles.” Monuments Toolkit Project, World  Heritage USA/U.S. National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites.  May 11, 2022. 

Correa, Gilbert. 2022. “Interview with Reynaldo ‘Sonny’ Rivera.” Monuments Toolkit  Project, World Heritage USA/U.S. National Committee of the International Council on  Monuments and Sites. May 5, 2022. 

Correa, Gilbert. 2022. “Interview with Dr. Shelle VanEtten de Sánchez and Mr. Elsa  Menéndez.” Monuments Toolkit Project, World Heritage USA/U.S. National  Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites. April 29, 2022.  

Correa, Gilbert. 2022. “Interview with Robert Martínez.” Monuments Toolkit Project,  World Heritage USA/U.S. National Committee of the International Council on  Monuments and Sites.  April 6, 2022. 

Dyer, Jessica and Adrian Gomez. 2021. “One year after protest, fate of Oñate sculpture  in limbo.” Albuquerque Journal. June 13, 2021. https://www.abqjournal.com/2399613/one-year-later-ontildeate-sculptures-fate-in limbo.html. 

Fisher, Austin. 2023. “We Don’t Want Oñate Elevated.” Source New Mexico. September 26, 2023. https://sourcenm.com/2023/09/26/we-dont-want-onate-elevated/. 

Gomez, Adrian and Alaina Mercinger. 2024. “City waits on council to hear future of Oñate statue on Albuquerque Museum grounds.” Albuquerque Journal. November 12, 2024. https://www.abqjournal.com/news/article_e5658b98-614e-11ee-bbad-036e09b60005.html 

Lee, Morgan. 2023. “New Mexico man charged with attempted murder in shooting at protest over Spanish conquistador statue.” Associated Press. September 29, 2023. https://apnews.com/article/felony-charges-filed-conquistador-statute-fa72c891a9a9d924c8b3ba2254bdddac?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share.  

“Monumental Injustice in the Americas.” 2020. University of Michigan Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS). YouTube Video. November 18, 2020. https://youtu.be/nCpoCn9PT_g?si=t5P7SrOvBuoIJIai.  

Plevin, Nancy. 1998. “Vandals maim bronze sculpture at visitors center near  Espanola.” Santa Fe New Mexican. January 8, 1998.  

Rio Grande Sun Staff. 2023. “Oñate Statue to Return to Rio Arriba.” Rio Grande Sun. September 20, 2023. https://www.riograndesun.com/news/o-ate-statue-to-return-to-rio-arriba/article_7f6e550e-57da-11ee-a049-8b4b1e30a47c.html. 

Romero, Simon. 2017. “Statue’s Stolen Foot Reflects Divisions Over Symbols of  Conquest.” New York Times. 30 September 30, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/30/us/statue-foot-new-mexico.htm.  

United Nations General Assembly. 1960. “Declaration on the Granting of Independence to  Colonial Countries and Peoples A/RES/1514(XV).” United Nations General Assembly. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/declaration-granting independence-colonial-countries-and-peoples.