{"id":32625,"date":"2023-10-06T21:08:21","date_gmt":"2023-10-07T01:08:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=32625"},"modified":"2023-10-06T21:20:48","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T01:20:48","slug":"pueblo-leaders-condemn-shooting-and-call-for-consultation-on-colonial-monument","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2023\/10\/06\/pueblo-leaders-condemn-shooting-and-call-for-consultation-on-colonial-monument\/","title":{"rendered":"Pueblo leaders condemn shooting and call for consultation on colonial monument"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Red Nation: Jen Marley statement on fascist attack on September 28, 2023<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n
Pueblo leaders condemn shooting and call for consultation on colonial monument<\/div>\r\n
Friday, October 6, 2023<\/div>\r\n
By Acee Agoyo<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nLeaders of New Mexico’s Pueblo tribes are speaking out following the near deadly shooting of a Native activist on their homelands.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nIn a news release<\/a> on Friday, the All Pueblo Council of Governors<\/a> (APCG) condemned the “violence” that took place on Pueblo territory in the northern part of the state last week. Jacob Johns, an activist and artist,<\/a> was shot in the chest amid opposition to a monument of Juan de O\u00f1ate<\/a>, a colonial figure known for his brutal treatment of Native people.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate that during a prayer filled ceremony that an individual was seriously harmed over this issue,” said APCG Vice Chairman Jerome Lucero, the former governor of the Pueblo of Zia<\/a>. “This shows that the historical trauma and pain inflicted on our Pueblo people by O\u00f1ate is still here.”\r\n

<\/p>\r\nPueblo leaders further asserted that officials in Rio Arriba County<\/a> made the decision to resurrect the O\u00f1ate monument without public input — and without tribal consultation. They tied the shooting of Johns, as well as ongoing threats to the safety of Native activists, to the controversial actions of the commission.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n“As tribal leaders, we are very concerned about the possibility of continued violence against Native people who vehemently disagree with the commission\u2019s decision,\u201d Lucero said in the release.\r\n

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All Pueblo Council of Governors News Release [PDF<\/a>]<\/div>\r\n
apcg100623<\/a><\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nFor one tribe in particular, the monument serves as a reminder of the painful past. In 1599, O\u00f1ate ordered a massacre<\/a> at the Pueblo of Acoma<\/a>, leading to the deaths of 800 women, children and men, which “decimated” the community, the news release stated.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cAcoma people are resilient,” said Governor Randall Vicente, the tribe’s leader. “We survived some of the most violent acts committed at the hands of a historic figure who should not be idolized.”\r\n

<\/p>\r\nVicente concurred with Lucero in connecting the O\u00f1ate monument to a revival of negative feelings against Native people. But he also questioned whether reinstalling the statue brings value to other residents of the state.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n“I am afraid the decision to put up the O\u00f1ate statue will only polarize our communities,” said Vicente. “We have come a long way since the battle at Acoma. Today, we need to stop seeing each other as enemies. We need to talk and listen to one another and work together for the safety and common good of all.\u201d\r\n

<\/p>\r\nAPCG Chairman Mark Mitchell, the former governor of the Pueblo of Tesuque<\/a>, added his voice to the condemnations of the violent shooting on September 28. Johns has been hospitalized<\/a> since the incident, with his family saying he is in critical but stable condition.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cPueblo Governors uphold the core values of love and respect,” Mitchell said. “Violence threatens the core values of peace and our collective well-being. We condemn all actions promoting increased violence.\u201d \r\n

<\/p>\r\n\"Pueblo<\/a>

A view of the Pueblo of Acoma, the site of a 1599 massacre ordered by Juan de O\u00f1ate, a colonial governor in what is known today as New Mexico. Photo: Nathan Hale Photography<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nBut with the fate of the O\u00f1ate statue still in question, Mitchell said Pueblo tribes should be included in any decisions going forward. So far officials in Rio Arriba have not stated what will happen to the monument in light of the near fatal shooting.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cUnequivocally, the health and safety of Native people is on the hearts and minds of Pueblo Governors as we seek justice and reconciliation,” Mitchell said. “Pueblos should always have a seat at the table to be consulted about these decisions.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe O\u00f1ate monument was installed<\/a> in 1994 on public property next to Ohkay Owingeh<\/a>, one of the Pueblo tribes that belongs to the APCG. In June 2020, the county removed the statue amid Native-led protests but local officials never explained what would happen to the bronze figure.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nIt turns out O\u00f1ate didn’t go very far. Last month, the county announced that the monument would be reinstalled<\/a> on public property in Espa\u00f1ola, a border town carved out of the homelands of Ohkay Owingeh and the neighboring Pueblo of Santa Clara<\/a>.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nDespite negative reactions from Native activists, voiced primarily by The Red Nation<\/a>, many of whose organizers hail from Pueblo tribes, county officials remained firm<\/a> in their decision to revive the statue of O\u00f1ate. But on the eve of the public event, they decided to postpone “until further notice”<\/a> — leaving open the door for another situation of the kind that led to last week’s shooting.\r\n

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