On racism, statues and New Mexico’s pain

This month, officials removed publicly displayed statues of Juan de Oñate, the Spanish colonist governor of 1500s New Mexico, who murdered, enslaved and stole land from Pueblo people in Albuquerque and Alcalde. Around the nation, the push to remove all slavery and colonist statues from public spaces, which honors America’s immoral past, is occurring.

Racism has existed in New Mexico since Oñate. It’s a unique racism based 100 percent in colonialism. The elitism the Spanish brought to New Mexico, pushing Catholicism on Native people, has caused misery and brokenness for hundreds of years. That’s what colonialism does: It’s slow-motion genocide that lasts generations. I believe the alcoholism and drug use, the poverty and the health crisis of the Pueblo and Navajo people are direct reflections of the colonialism they’ve endured and the generational trauma they live.

Since the colonization of New Mexico by America, Hispanic communities of New Mexico are suffering the same plight. From well before 1912, Hispanics have been losing their lands to national forests and the Bureau of Land Management. They’ve had to stop farming. They’re experiencing housing gentrification, forced out of their historic neighborhoods, and must sell their generational homes. Alcoholism, drug use and crime inundated their communities. They are justifiably angry and experiencing colonialist trauma.

Unlike white American denial of their family’s slavery legacies, the Hispanic communities have been aware of their colonial impacts on Pueblo people and have proactively tried, for generations, to make amends for the sins of their fathers.

They’ve intermarried with Pueblo people, they’ve historically had towns next to Native communities (Alcalde, La Bajada, etc.), allowing for open trade and education, and they’ve attended and celebrated their Catholic ceremonies together, adopting and honoring each culture’s traditions. It hasn’t always gone well, and elitism reappears through generations, but efforts for reconciliation are conscious and practiced to this day.

With the removal of Spanish conquistador statues, anger and upset is reemerging within both cultures. Some Hispanics are angry and hurt, voicing the same reasoning of Southern white Americans on the removal of their historic statues. “It’s our history” is being heard. The Pueblo people are justifiably correct in wanting these public figures removed. Some New Mexicans don’t care either way. (“Just tell us, when is marijuana going to be legalized?”)

Public spaces, and the statues they display, have one major purpose: to reiterate the values of the greater society. It’s a place to reflect and honor those individuals who sacrificed for the values of their communities and are honored through gardens, statues or memorials. It’s a place to gather, celebrate and debate laws or legislation that do, or don’t, agree with residence. Public spaces reflect governments, communities and the future directions of the people.

The statues need to go. They don’t represent the values of the majority of Hispanics or Pueblo people. Oñate’s misdeeds are well-documented in history books and museums. There is no need to publicly display any statue of any figure who has hurt any New Mexican, then or now.

The Pueblo people are the first and original people of this state, and their voices should take precedence. In fact, generational pain from colonialism will be healed in

New Mexico and everywhere if we can reverse colonialist hierarchical order and give voice to the hurt of the first peoples.

The entire planet is suffering the effects of colonialism, from slavery to genocide to forced migration, which continue to this day. New Mexico’s pain is colonialism. Let the birthplace of the ultimate weaponry for humanity’s demise be the birthplace of peace and healing for the world. Let’s make New Mexico a healing example, so we can further heal the nation. After all, we’ve got experience.

Lena Hakim of Santa Fe is former environmental scientist and former senior environmental scientist for the All Indian Pueblo Council.