Statue of Juan de Oñate (Albuquerque, New Mexico) explained

La Jornada
Caption:	Part of the installation in 2013
Dedicated To:	Juan de Oñate
Location:	Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.

La Jornada is a statue by Reynaldo "Sonny" Rivera and Betty Sabo which depicts Juan de Oñate leading an expedition of Spanish settlers.

History

The statue was commissioned in the late 1990s, and installed on the grounds of the Albuquerque Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2004.^{[1] [2]} It was removed by the city in June 2020, following an attempt by protesters to topple it as part of the George Floyd protests which led to one protester being shot by a counter-protester.^{[3] [4]}

Native activists have long opposed monuments to conquistadors, and Oñate is specifically controversial due to having ordered the murder and mutilation of hundreds of people during the Acoma Massacre of 1599.^[4]

See also

• Equestrian statue of Juan de Oñate – Another statue of Oñate in New Mexico which was removed following protests
• List of monuments and memorials removed during the George Floyd protests

Notes and References

1. News: Dafoe . Taylor . A Conquistador Monument Has Been Removed in Albuquerque After an Attempt to Topple It Was Met With Violence . 7 July 2020 . Artnet News . 16 June 2020.
2. News: Dyer . Jessica . Nathanson . Rick . City faces new calls to remove Oñate sculpture . 7 July 2020 . Albuquerque Journal . 13 June 2020.
3. News: KRQE Staff . Seymore . Jami . City of Albuquerque removes statue of Juan de Oñate in Old Town . 7 July 2020 . KRQE News 13 Albuquerque – Santa Fe . 16 June 2020.
4. News: Romero . Simon . Man Is Shot at Protest Over Statue of New Mexico's Conquistador . 7 July 2020 . The New York Times . 15 June 2020.