SFPS lets students opt out of Fiesta activities
Policy comes as more voice concern over how local history is remembered
The Fiesta Court — which includes people portraying Don Diego de Vargas and his soldiers and Catholic missionaries who participated in the Spanish reoccupation of Santa Fe in 1692 — will begin visiting local schools on Thursday as it does every year before the annual Fiesta de Santa Fe. But this year, for the first time, Santa Fe Public Schools students will be given the option of not participating in these events.
Superintendent Veronica García sent a memo to school staff this week that said, “Students may opt out of Fiesta-related activities. Schools must provide alternative activities for students who have opted out at the time of the Fiesta Court visits.”
The new policy comes at a time when more people are questioning how local history is remembered during the longrunning annual celebration, particularly with regard to the Spanish colonists’ treatment of local Indians. Protesters in recent years have challenged the accuracy of the “bloodless” reconquest story that has long been taught in local traditions, such as the Entrada de Don Diego de Vargas — a costumed re-enactment that takes place on the first day of the Fiesta. Critics say it whitewashes Spanish mistreatment of Native Americans.
García’s memo, sent Tuesday, said, “As part of the traditional Fiesta de Santa Fe kick-off activities, the Santa Fe Fiesta Court will visit all SFPS schools and some district facilities this week. … While it important to recognize the contributions of all people in the shaping of New Mexico’s history and culture, we must be sensitive to the impact of historical events in our state.”
In an interview Wednesday, García said, “I don’t know if this is a new policy or if it’s just being in alignment with a school board resolution in 2015.” That resolution called for more cultural sensitivity toward American Indian students and for “cultural accuracy” in teaching history as it applies to Native Americans.
García said the recent solar eclipse helped spur her directive to let students opt out of attending the Fiesta Court visits if they would feel uncomfortable
for any reason. Some Indian tribes forbid their members from viewing an eclipse, she said, so no student in Santa Fe Public Schools was forced to watch it. “If we could show cultural sensitivity for the eclipse,” she said, “we can do it for the Fiesta Court.”
“I think it’s a small step well-taken,” said Elena Ortiz, a Native American activist who is the mother of a Santa Fe Public Schools student. But Ortiz, who is an enrolled member of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, said her goal is to stop the Fiesta Court visits to the schools, which have long been a part of efforts by Fiesta organizers to spread a spirit of celebration, if not pride, among community residents.
She recalled the visits when she was a student at Acequia Madre Elementary School and Santa Fe High. “I was lucky because my father educated us and told us, ‘This is not for you.’ I always wondered why people all seemed to be having a good time when these people [the conquistadors] are evil.”
Ortiz has been involved in Native American organizations including In the Spirit of Popé, named for the leader of the 1680 Pueblo Revolt that temporarily drove the Spanish out of Northern New Mexico, and Red Nation, which last year protested the Entrada event on the Plaza.
Dean Milligan, president of the Fiesta Council, said Wednesday he doesn’t have any problem with letting students opt out of the celebrations at schools. “I understand where the superintendent is coming from,” he said.
Unlike the Entrada, the school visits are lighthearted and don’t involve much history, Milligan said. “They just go in, dance around a little bit, introduce themselves, dance with the kids and invite everyone to come down to the Plaza for Fiestas,” he said.
García’s memo stressed that it’s important for the schools to recognize cultural diversity throughout the entire year. “Consider highlighting the various aspects of New Mexico’s rich history and cultures throughout the year,” the memo says. “All educators who teach New Mexico history … are required to utilize balanced lessons that represent multiple perspectives, e.g. African American, Hispanic, Jewish, Native American/Indigenous, etc.”
The memo includes a long list of books, newspaper articles, videos and websites covering various aspects of state history, different cultures and even current events, including controversies over public statues.
“It’s not like we are trying to minimize any culture,” García said. “We’re just making sure all cultures are represented.”