Dear Editor,
September 15, 2023 to October 15, 2023 marks the recognition and celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States.
What better way to celebrate the month, if not with the relocation of the statue of the first European of Spanish descent (Juan de Oñate) coming to Nuevo Mexico to establish a settlement and first New Mexico Capitol in Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan de Los Caballeros) over four hundred years ago bringing him wives, children, priests and settlers.
We honor our Native American friends by having a statue of Popé in Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C.
In ending, we cannot change history; we can only embrace it for a better tomorrow.
Remember, we were born with our culture and are proud that our Spanish American roots run over four hundred years deep in New Mexico.
Alex M. Naranjo
Rio Arriba County Commission Chairman