EXPLORING
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Just when I felt very accomplished, having climbed to the summit of another New Mexico hill to visit another Hispanic monument, I realized that I was not done climbing!
"So, have you been to the Cross of the Martyrs?" asked a Santa Fe museum curator when learning about my mission to visit Hispanic heritage sites in New Mexico. "I was just there!" I respond proudly. "Great place! I could see all of Santa Fe from up there. I took a bunch of photos." Of course, I thought we were talking about the steel cross erected in 1977 to pay tribute to the 21 Franciscan friars killed by Native Americans during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. But my new friend was setting me up for a surprise. "You have been to both of them?" he chuckled. |
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"What?" I snapped. "Both . . . whaaat?"
"There are two Crosses of the Martyrs," he said. "you went to the second cross. It was meant to replace the original. Most people don't know it, but the original is still there. It's near my house." "Oh yeah?" I asked. "So where do you live?" My New Mexico bucket list kept growing! So now I had to find the original cross! How could I not go there? LOL |
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It turns out that the original Cross of the Martyrs, built with reinforced concrete in 1920, is on the top of a smaller hill not too far away, but on grounds that gradually became surrounded by a residential neighborhood and almost inaccessible to visitors.
Yet the martyrs of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 were still so important here that a second cross needed to be built. It was erected in 1977 on the summit of a higher hill in Historic Fort Marcy Park, closer to downtown Santa Fe and shortening the distance for Catholic processions. From the summit, standing next to the Cross of the Martyrs, you get awesome views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Santa Fe city skyline. |
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Mind you, the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 was 96 years before the American Declaration of Independence, back when the province of Nuevo Mexico was part of the Spanish empire. And yet its effects have stretched through centuries. The two Crosses of the Martyrs were erected in the 2oth century.
Of course, these crosses not only remind us of the 21 friars killed in the Pueblo Revolt, but of some 400 other Spanish settlers and an untold number of Native Americans who were also killed during the revolt. |
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In New Mexico, no other year in American history is as significant as 1680! You see it everywhere: The Pueblo Revolt still affects people's lives. You even see people who have not stopped fighting the Pueblo Revolt, except now they fight against Hispanic statues. These are people who hold infinite resentment. I have seen it called "historical trauma." It's sad.
The plaque on the 1977 cross lists the names of the 21 missionaries who gave their lives trying to teach new ways and a new religion to the natives, and who were declared martyrs by the Catholic Church. It also lists the names of the Indian pueblos they served. (see photo). As you hike along the steep trails to the top of this hill, you are in "Commemorative Walkway Park," where a timeline of 20 markers take you through Santa Fe's 'long and colorful' history. (See photos below). |
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The plaque on the 1920 cross notes that it was erected, "in memory of the Franciscan friars who were killed by the Pueblo Indians in the revolution in the province of New Mexico, August 9th and 10th A.D. 1680."
Yet, even these crosses have been threatened by those who want to erase Hispanic history in New Mexico. They have been vandalized with disrespectful graffiti. And apparently fearing even worse sacrilegious behavior, a new sign at the original cross notes that "The Historic Santa Fe Foundation, owner and steward of this monument, considered its place in history in light of the cultural concerns and social protests in 2020. The monument was built as part of the Santa Fe Fiesta, recognizing the influences three major culture's in New Mexico's heritage." |
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In other words, they are telling visitors that in spite of what the cross plaque says, this monument is not as much about the Spanish friars killed in 1680, but about three cultures. The fact that they had to give this appeasement explanation — so the cross would not be targeted as part of the 2020 war against statues — is embarrassing!
I'm not done with my exploration. But sometimes it seems as if some New Mexicans are intimidated from dealing with their true history, and even their own faith! So, perhaps additional prayer is necessary, a good time to visit Our Lady of Guadalupe in her historic Santa Fe shrine. Let' go there for my next article.
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At Commemorative Walkway Park, as you hike to The Cross of the Martyrs, a timeline of 20 markers take you through Santa Fe's 'long and colorful' history:
To enlarge these images, click on them!
To enlarge these images, click on them!
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To read other parts of this ongoing series, click: EXPLORING NEW MEXICO
