In 1998, the 400th anniversary of the founding of Albuquerque by Spanish conquistadors, the city commissioned a monument to be placed in front of the Albuquerque Museum. The process was highly contentious. Although over the centuries Spanish and Native blood has mixed, consensually and otherwise, a challenge like how to memorialize colonization can send people into corners where the other – even the other part of you – becomes the enemy.
Sculptor Sonny Rivera’s Don Juan de Onate, leading La Jornada, before he was removed
To read all of Lucy Moore’s thoughtful and informative blog post:
https://lucymoore.com/a-tale-of-two-monuments/?fbclid=IwAR3tHQqtKpWuszbyAyvPiqnCnpN9znZaHk9l4K05PAOaz501W2aitFwOzj0
Miriam's Well: Poetry, Land Art, and Beyond 