ALBUQUERQUE – Leaders of a coalition that represents New Mexico’s pueblo communities said Wednesday they hope a “fair and meaningful resolution” can be found as local government officials consider how to handle the growing discord over statues of Juan de Oñate and other representations of the Spanish conquistador.
One man was shot and injured Monday night in Albuquerque after a fight broke out as protesters tried to tear down a statue outside a city museum. Another man is facing charges in the shooting and police are being criticized for not stepping in sooner to quell the violence.
J. Michael Chavarria, the governor of Santa Clara Pueblo and chairman of the All Pueblo Council of Governors, said such incidents need to be avoided and the path forward needs to be one that recognizes a shared history and richness of the state’s respective cultures.
He said it’s fundamentally important that every culture and every individual be treated with dignity and respect.
“A statue in honor of a man who committed crimes against Pueblo people should not be on prominent display without context,” Chavarria said. “I appreciate the decision of Rio Arriba County and the city of Albuquerque to remove these symbols of conquest, genocide and racial injustice.”
He said he looked forward to a dialogue to consider a “fair and meaningful resolution.”
Likenesses of Oñate have long spurred debate in New Mexico, where he is celebrated as a cultural father figure in communities along the Upper Rio Grande that trace their ancestry to Spanish settlers who arrived as part of a caravan led by the conquistador in 1598. He’s also reviled for his brutality among Native Americans.
Steven Ray Baca, 31, was jailed on suspicion of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after the shooting during the protest outside the Albuquerque Museum. The district attorney was scheduled to provide an update Wednesday.
Baca, once a candidate for Albuquerque City Council, has not yet made an initial court appearance.
Albuquerque police turned over the investigation to the State Police and the FBI was assisting. City officials also said the police tactics will be reviewed. Police units that had been monitoring the protest moved in minutes after the shooting and used tear gas and rubber bullets as they took the suspect into custody and aided the man who was shot.
That man, Scott Williams, remained hospitalized Wednesday.
Baca had been among those trying to protect the statue when protesters “appeared to maliciously pursue him,” according to a criminal complaint.
Video posted on social media showed protesters hitting Baca with a skateboard, punching him and chasing him before he opened fire. Moments before that, video also showed Baca throwing a woman to the ground after she was backing into him with her arms stretched out.
Authorities said investigators were still interviewing witnesses and reviewing video.
Mayor Tim Keller on Tuesday also raised concerns about a separate group of armed men who showed up before protesters tried to bring the statue down with a chain and pickax. He said he wanted them designated as a hate group and called on state lawmakers to consider gun control measures during their next session, specifically an amendment to the state Constitution that would give cities the power to regulate the right to bear arms.
