Oñate: Remove, reimagine and remember

Isupport the removal of the statues of conquistador Juan de Oñate because I don’t believe in monuments, particularly those that glorify, even if symbolically, the violence of conquest and imperialism, and that perpetuate false narratives based on forgetting history more than remembering it whole, here or anywhere in the world.

For the record, my scholarship and advocacy on this issue has been consistent for decades.

The symbol of the male conqueror is perhaps one of the most elevated representations locally, nationally and globally. Across the region, it is visible on logos, monuments and even on Chicano murals. It is one thing that it is employed in the early decades of the 20th century, but that it continues to circulate on social media is detrimental. Worse still, it is deeply embedded in individual and group consciousness at the heart of a sense of self, all of which reveals how deep the wounds are.

The fact that Oñate and other figures of conquest have been embraced as a symbol of identity reveals a lack of critical thinking and imagination. We are not static museum pieces, and history has never stood still like these statues. I have called upon us to begin recognizing true icons of identity — the mayordomos (protectors of water), curanderas (protectors of health) and farmers (stewards of land), all of which reflect more deeply and meaningfully the essence of a living community.

For those who would say things like, “You cannot judge the past by the present,” the difference between right and wrong is recognized in any era. Consider for a moment that Oñate was tried by his own contemporaries. Although he was removed from his position in 1606, by 1614 he was accused of 30 separate charges, eventually acquitted of 18 of those charges, but found guilty of 12 others, including those of excessive violence, cruelty, immorality, adultery and false reporting. He was fined and condemned to perpetual exile, a lenient sentence for these crimes.

Beyond the statue in Alcalde — removed last week for safekeeping — there are other present-day physical manifestations that mythologize Oñate, including a school and streets, the Albuquerque statute that also has been removed, even a towering equestrian monument in El Paso, a fact that would confound the 17th-century King Phillip III as well as members of the expedition who served as character witnesses to Oñate’s nefarious deeds. These visible manifestations and an entire landscape of other memorials are no different than the confederate statues that codified a heroic narrative, erasing critical context and perspective.

The 19th-century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche distinguished three approaches to history: monumental, antiquarian and critical. Monumental history emphasizes great deeds of singular heroes and events and manifests in statues and anniversary festivals. Antiquarian history reflects an admiration of the past, though because it does not connect to either the present or the future, it is not generative, does not in and of itself create something and manifests in static displays and buildings whose integrity and interpretation are guided more by what once was than what could be, or even current or future needs for a community. These two approaches are celebratory, nostalgic and often reflect dominant perspectives.

In reaction to the celebratory and the nostalgic, a third approach has emerged — critical history. Deconstructive by nature, critical history can lead some to feel disquieted and uncomfortable. Some have gone so far as to refer to this method as judgmental, though as it draws from facts, if undertaken rigorously, thoughtfully and sensitively, it should not read as condemnation but rather as thoughtful analysis.

This method actually has the potential to illuminate the erased and obscured and to include multiple perspectives. It is an approach that usually emerges in academic writing, though also can be made more accessible publicly (e.g. op-ed pieces, websites, blogs, films).

I would argue that paired with this critical and constructive approach, the work of artists is essential. Those creatives working particularly in the visual, performing, literary and media arts have also long taken as subject matter the past, offering counter and imaginative interpretations and helped us to look closer, see the past more clearly and to create openings toward healing in the present.

While our identity resides in action and struggle, I believe in a process that is grounded not in violence but in civic discourse that leads to transformation. We have an opportunity in this moment that I believe demands vision and leadership in government and cultural-based organizations, especially, to work on the ground with community to effect change, to contextualize, to re-center these symbols, removing them from decontextualized settings, and above all to work to recover and replace them with more authentic symbols that reflect the full complexity of who we are.

Estevan Rael-Gálvez, Ph.D., is a writer, creative strategist and the founding principal of Creative Strategies 360°, which supports transformative work within communities, governments, universities and cultural-based organizations. He is the former executive director of the National Hispanic Cultural Center and served as state historian.