Local news in brief, September 3, 2010

Anonymous group protests Fiesta

An anonymous group of local residents, calling themselves Santa Feans for Truth and Reconciliation, is asking Roman Catholic officials, Mayor David Coss and Gov. Bill Richardson to reconsider their support for Santa Fe Fiesta.

"Santa Fe may well be the only city in the U.S. that allows one culture to openly and arrogantly celebrate its military conquest and subjugation of another culture whose descendants still make up a significant part of the local population," says a news release the group e-mailed to local media Thursday.

The release calls upon church officials to stop the "barbaric display" of La Conquistadora — the Marian statue associated with the annual celebration of the Spanish reconquest of New Mexico after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. "The Catholic Church does not parade a version of the Virgin Mary with whips and shackles through the streets of Mobile, Alabama to celebrate the history of slavery," it says.

The release says the Fiesta, beginning next week, creates "such a climate of fear and retribution that we are counseled not to reveal our names." A spokesman for the group said its seven members, including one Native American, fear they or their children would be harassed if their names were made public.

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/newsbriefs/