Equestrian statue of Juan de Oñate


A statue of Juan de Oñate, called La Jornada, was installed in Alcalde, New Mexico, United States. The monument was removed in June 2020. It was situated outside the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Center in Alcalde, New Mexico from 1994 to 2020.

Description and history

The statue was cast in bronze by Reynaldo Rivera. It was erected in 1994. The right foot of the statue was cut off on December 29, 1997, shortly before commemorations for the 400th anniversary, in 1998, of Oñate's arrival in New Mexico. A note was left at the scene that said "Fair is fair". The foot was recast, but a seam where the two pieces joined was still visible. Some commentators suggested leaving the statue maimed as a symbolic reminder of the foot-amputating Acoma Massacre. A local filmmaker, Chris Eyre, was contacted by one of the two perpetrators, who said, "I'm back on the scene to show people that Oñate and his supporters must be shamed." The sculptor responded that chopping feet "was the nature of discipline of 400 years ago".
In 2017 the statue's left foot was painted red, and the words "Remember 1680" were written with paint on the monument's base.
The county of Rio Arriba removed the statue on June 15, 2020.