City of Santa Fe unveils resolution to give homes to two controversial statues
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – Two bronze monuments that have stirred years of controversy in Santa Fe, now have a new fate. The mayor announced the return to public view for a statue of a Spanish conquistador and a sculpture of two Native American runners.
Story continues below
News: VIDEO: Deputies find dead 5-year-old during Silver City callout
Trending: City of Santa Fe unveils resolution to give homes to two controversial statues
Community: Albuquerque hosting its first-ever cricket tournament at Balloon Fiesta Park
The surprise announcement this afternoon will bring back a statue of Don Diego de Vargas that was removed in 2020, along with the placement of a statue commemorating two Tesuque runners tied to the Pueblo Revolt that’s never been seen in public.
“These are important, historical and cultural figures and they need to be out in safe, respectful, public places,” says Mayor Alan Webber, City of Santa Fe.
The mayor made the unified announcement alongside Santa Fe City Councilors Carol Romero-Wirth, Michael Garcia, and Pilar Faulkner, Pueblo leaders and a group supporting Spanish history tied to Don Diego de Vargas. The De Vargas statue will spend the next four years in the New Mexico History Museum.
De Vargas was a Spanish Conquistador who led the reclamation of the Santa Fe territory after the Pueblo Revolt of the 1680s. His statue was in Cathedral Park but was removed in 2020 amid national protests tied to historical monuments.
The city also announced Thursday that it will place a statue of two Tesuque runners at the Santa Fe Convention Center. That sculpture honors two men, who alerted other tribes about a planned revolt against Spanish colonizers before they were both captured and killed.
“History, I think is being made today. Both the statues have their own histories, and these are the histories that our kids need to learn about in an honest way,” said Governor Milton Herrera, Tesuque Pueblo.
The city is planning to put the statues out simultaneously, but before they can do that, the measure still needs to be approved by city council. Some opponents of both statues protested the announcement. The mayor says they’ll be able to speak out about the proposal at an upcoming council meeting.
Mayor Webber expressed confidence that the resolution to place the statues has the support to pass. That resolution could be voted on in July.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
