SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s been four years since protesters toppled the controversial obelisk on the Santa Fe Plaza. Now the fight is headed to court, where a local organization is trying to force the city to put the monument back.
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Union Protectiva de Santa Fe is the organization taking the City of Santa Fe to court over the Santa Fe Plaza obelisk which has been hidden from public view since 2020. Its future is still uncertain. “Don’t take our history away from us, don’t take our traditions away from us,” said President Virgil Vigil, Union Protectiva de Santa Fe.
It was October 2020 when the monument was torn down during protests over the obliesk which is dedicated to Civil War-era soldiers. The monument has been criticized for a plaque with a derogatory reference to Native Americans.
The group bringing the lawsuit is dedicated to preserving the Spanish colonial history of Santa Fe. The group said they would agree to the controversial plaque being removed but the monument itself should be restored.
Today, the base of the monument remains hidden behind a playwood box while the upper part is in storage. The group’s lawsuit alleged that Santa Fe Mayor Alan Webber and the city violated the state’s historic preservation laws. “It’s important not only to our organization but to the city of Santa Fe,” said Vigil.
Meanwhile, the Indigenous advocacy group Three Sisters Collective asked the city to remove the monument along with two others dedicated to colonial figures. “These monuments represent a day that is behind us and we need to move forward as a community in a way that embraces all cultures,” said Dr. Christina Castro, Three Sisters Collective.
Union Protective said they are trying to protect their Spanish history, culture, and language. “Don’t try to change history. History has occurred… we learn from our mistakes,” said Vigil.
Union Protectiva also hoped to restore a statue of conquistador Don Deigo de Vargas to the park where it originally stood. The statue was moved to the New Mexico History Museum as well as another obelisk dedicated to Kit Carson.
The spokesperson for the City of Santa Fe told KRQE News 13 that the city does not comment on pending litigation.
A lawyer for Union Protective sent this statement:
Our goal is to protect Santa Fe’s rich heritage. We hope that this case will reaffirm New Mexico’s historic preservation laws which protect our unique treasures, and which should never be disregarded for the sake of political expedience.
Kenneth H. Stalter, Stalter Law LLC