Three Pueblo artists have been removed from their leadership positions on the committee that oversees the sale of Indian art in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Palace of the Governors Portal committee chairman Glenn Paquin, vice chairman Merton Sisneros and Allen Bruce Paquin were removed late last year after more than 200 fellow artists signed a petition that accused them of negligence and other complaints. But Paquin, of Jemez Pueblo, said he was the victim of a dispute between Pueblo artists and Navajo artists, whom he described as urban and non-traditional.

Paquin was replaced by Cheryl Arviso, a Navajo jeweler who was appointed interim chairman pending an April 25 committee meeting. Arviso and some other artists, including Pueblos and Navajos, say Paquin was a poor leader.

The city of Santa Fe restricts sales on the portal to Indian artists, a tradition that dates back to the 1930s when Pueblo artists made a daily trip from their reservations to sell wares to tourists. The restriction has been upheld by the federal courts under the Morton v. Mancari U.S. Supreme Court that held Indians can be treated separately due to their political and legal status.

Get the Story:
Battle on the portal (The Santa Fe New Mexican 4/4)
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Indian-only vendors upheld by court (The Santa Fe New Mexican 4/4)
Artists� vendor spots allocated by drawing (The Santa Fe New Mexican 4/4)

Relevant Links:
Museum of New Mexico - http://www.museumofnewmexico.org
Palace of the Governors - http://www.palaceofthegovernors.org