Regarding the stupidity and ignorance of “historians” Roberto Valdez and Al Berrago, I am shocked (Rio Grande SUN, Fiesta Historians Downplay, July 18, 2019, page A1). I am amazed the SUN published such trash in the first place.
You treated the lies of these two so-called historians as a serious and legitimate historical piece. For one, I have never heard of the figure, 8,000 people killed at Acoma. Most historians agree on the number at 800. Still, that number is horrific.
Oñate did his best to destroy the Acoma People. There is no denying that atrocities took place at Acoma. History written by the Spanish themselves recount what happened.
I’ve said many times that nothing good ever came from the violent and savage Spanish invasion. New Mexico changed forever, the moment Oñate crossed the Rio Grande.
New Mexico has since remained corrupt and violent. We are the poorest, dumbest, most drug and alcohol addled, and to make things worse, we are the most violent. This is your conquistador legacy. The myopic obsession of a violent past keeps our communities in perpetual violence and ignorance.
When your paper legitimizes “historians” such as Valdez and Borrego, you become part of the problem. The rest of the country is beginning to get the racism and indecency of Confederate monuments. When will New Mexico do the same?
I am from Acoma. I have protested conquistador monuments for many years. We are in social quicksand and we keep pushing the helping hand away.
Maurus Chino
Albuquerque