Look beyond Oñate
Don’t mischaracterize ‘La Jornada’ sculpture depicting families coming in peace
I write in response to the wellintentioned, but precipitous, action of the Albuquerque Museum Board of Trustees calling for the removal of the La Jornada sculpture from the Albuquerque Museum grounds.
The action was purportedly taken because La Jornada may be seen as a monument to Don Juan de Oñate or might otherwise cause conflict, pain or division. It appears there is a perceived impression of La Jornada that does not reflect the actuality of La
Jornada.
La Jornada — the journey — is a world-class sculptural arrangement created by the extraordinarily talented local artists Reynaldo “Sonny” Rivera and Betty Sabo. It is a remarkable reflection of the arduous journey of the approximately 600 settlers who came to New Mexico in 1598. This is a tribute to the colonists, not to any one person. It represents an expedition of families coming in peace, with the hope of co-existence with the Pueblo Indians, of whom the Spanish were well aware as a result of many previous exploratory expeditions.
With Oñate’s removal, the remaining figures featured in the sculptural arrangement include men pushing a carreta, women and children, a woman holding an infant, a priest, an Indian guide, horses, other work and domestic animals and two soldiers carrying banners. There are no drawn swords, no indication of conflict, and, certainly, no celebration of conquest.
That this peaceful, unpretentious procession of colonists was not seen as a threat is evidenced by the respectful receptions received at Pueblos up and down the Rio Grande valley, as the colonists proceeded to their initial destination at San Juan Pueblo in northern New Mexico, from which they relocated to the nearby Pueblo of San Gabriel, until the settling of the
city of Santa Fe in 1607-1609, prior to its founding in 1610.
The families of those who participated in this early colonization of New Mexico are appropriately recognized on the Wall of Spanish Ancestral Heritage, located immediately adjacent to the sculptural arrangement. Presently, the numerous descendants of those hardy families proudly populate Albuquerque and New Mexico.
It cannot go unnoticed that there is a certain irony in a request that this particular depiction of a portion of the history of the Spanish colonization of New Mexico be removed from the grounds of the Albuquerque Museum, given that Albuquerque was founded in 1706 by Spanish colonists by order of then-Governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdes, with the authority of the Spanish crown.
Nevertheless, it is particularly important, at this moment in our nation’s history, in which we are appropriately addressing injustice with a new focus, that we distinguish between what is wrong and what is not, what is threatening, and what is not. It would, indeed, be tragic, if innocent artifacts of
our collective history were to be disrespected because of discomfort or dissatisfaction with the unrelated action or inaction of specific persons at different points in time.
New Mexico is unique in its diversity, and inviting in its respect for all who are here, and for all who come. We cannot squander this special sauce by casting a wider net than is necessary to deal with specific issues.
My hope, now that this matter has been thrust upon us, is that, to the extent there is continued discussion about the appropriateness of La Jornada at the Albuquerque Museum, there is a mutually respectful appreciation of different points of view, of the history of each of us and of all of us and, especially, of our shared history. We need to embrace those things that bring us together and discard those that unnecessarily divide us. In this regard, we need to be surgical in our approach to what it is that needs resolution, in order to avoid inflicting unnecessary and unwarranted pain on others, in an effort to achieve satisfaction for some. I trust that we will be able to do so.